A hole is a square in your own half of the board, usually on the third or fourth rank, that none of your pawns can ever attack again. An enemy piece can settle there.
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Holes come from pawn moves that look natural. Pawns on c5 and e5 gain space but leave d5 for good. Whether that matters depends on whether the opponent can get a knight there and keep it.
How to do it
- 1Look for a square between two pawns that have both advanced past it.
- 2Check that no pawn of the defender can ever attack that square.
- 3Put a knight there and defend it with a pawn.
For your level
Two pawns pushed past the square between them leave a hole. No pawn move can repair it.
Check you have it
Question 1 of 1
Which file has no pawns of either colour standing on it?
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Common mistakes
- Treating every hole as fatal, when no enemy piece can reach it.
- Letting the knight in the hole be traded for a bishop, which leaves an empty square.
Questions
- What is the difference between a hole and a weak square?
- A hole is a weak square in the defender's own half, where an enemy piece can sit and cause damage. Every hole is a weak square, but not every weak square is a hole.