A pawn breakthrough is a pawn sacrifice that forces a passed pawn through a blocked pawn chain. The classic case is three pawns against three, with the defending king too far away.
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Pawns locked against each other look like a dead position. When the enemy king is far away, a sacrifice can open a file, and the pawn that runs through is faster than any defence.
How to do it
- 1Look for pawns face to face, with the enemy king too far away to catch a runner.
- 2Push the middle pawn first, so either capture opens a file.
- 3Count the race to promotion before you sacrifice anything.
For your level
Pawns locked face to face can still produce a passed pawn. Push the middle one first, and whichever pawn captures, the other file opens.
Check you have it
Question 1 of 1
On which file does Black have two pawns, one behind the other?
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Common mistakes
- Breaking through when the enemy king is close enough to catch the runner.
- Pushing an outside pawn first, which allows the defender to capture and keep the files closed.
Questions
- How do I know a pawn breakthrough works?
- Count the moves to promotion for both sides, captures included. If your pawn queens first, or queens with check, it works. If it is one move short, you have given away pawns for nothing.