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Backward pawn
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| Rubinstein- Salwe, Łódź 1908. Black's c6 pawn is backward. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In chess, a backward pawn is a pawn that is behind the pawns of the same color on the adjacent files and that cannot be advanced with the support of another pawn.
In the diagrammed position, the Black pawn on the c6 square is backward. Backward pawns are usually a positional disadvantage, since they are hard to defend. Also, the opponent can place a piece on the square in front of the pawn (called a hole) without any risk of a pawn driving it away. If the backward pawn is on a half-open file, as in this case, the disadvantage is much larger, as it can be more easily attacked by an opponent's rook or queen. Pieces can become weak when they are devoted to protecting a backward pawn, like Black's queen and rook later in the game.
Modern opening theory features several openings where one of the players deliberately takes a backward pawn, in exchange for better development. The most notable examples are the Najdorf variation and the Sveshnikov variation of the Sicilian Defense. In these openings Black has a backward pawn on d6 in exchange for piece play and center control.
In the above game, Rubinstein's strategic plan is connected to pressuring this weakness in the Black camp, and in the end the pawn is lost and with it the game (java interface).
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