Creating weaknesses means forcing the opponent to move or exchange pawns, so that a weak pawn or weak square appears that you can then attack.
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A position without weaknesses gives you nothing to attack. Pawns cannot move back, so every pawn move or pawn exchange you force can leave a lasting target. The minority attack is the best-known way to do it.
How to do it
- 1Pick the pawn or square that would become weak if the structure changed.
- 2Advance your pawns to force the exchange that creates it.
- 3Then stop pushing and attack the weakness with pieces.
For your level
Choose the target before you start pushing. A minority attack with no follow-up only trades pawns and opens lines for the defender.
Common mistakes
- Pushing pawns on the wing where you are weaker and weakening your own camp.
- Creating the weakness and then never attacking it.
Questions
- What is a minority attack?
- An advance of two pawns against three on one wing, as in the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, where White pushes the b-pawn. The aim is an exchange that leaves Black a weak pawn on c6.