This question, referring to the de
sired type of pawns, really depends on the pieces which remain in a par
ticular position. Often it is recom
mended that connected pawns are preferable. This comes from the gen
eral rule (usually with the opening and middlegame in mind) that the fewer pawn 'islands' the better.
Indeed it does seem logical since connected pawns provide reciprocal support, whereas they may well be
come easy targets when isolated.
While I agree with the relevance of these guides to the earlier stages of the game, in the endgame - particu
larly with reference to passed pawns - other factors take on significance.
The king and pawn endgame in the diagram overleaf - at first glance at least - looks very good for Black.
His connected passed pawns are unapproachable and if one of them advances neither can ever be taken.
Indeed, Black to play wins with l . ..�b7-c6, netting the c5-pawn. But it is White to play, and the extra tempo makes a difference.
62 The Soldiers
1 a4-a5!
Now the white pawns are both on the 5th rank which, as we will see, makes them immune to attack.
1 �b7-c6
2 a5-a6! �c6-c7 3 �-gl
White must not overextend. After 3 a6-a7? �c7-b7 Black can catch the a-pawn and be back in time for its partner on the c-file.
3 ... �c7-c6
Black must also be aware of his limitations. Hunting down the a6-pawn is disastrous, e.g. 3 ... �c7-b8 ? 4 c5-c6 and any king move allows one of the pawns a clear run to glory.
4 �gl-fl The game is a draw.
Neither side can attempt to make progress.
The fact that these isolated pawns were one file apart was beneficial to White because with each step for
ward they denied the black king a re
treat square. In fact being two files apart is less effective (by all means try this for yourself), but any more
than this stretches the king so much that the defensive task is impossible.
We have also seen how minor pieces (particularly knights) prefer obstructing passed pawns which are closer together (even connected), so what is all the fuss about? The an
swer is rooks. The existence of con
nected passed pawns is like a dream come true to the attacker, and a nightmare to the defending rook.
Q. In the position below, with his king so far away, will White be able to contain the threat of the black pawns?
A. Since the black pawns are so close to promotion, it is clear that White has no winning chances. How
ever we know that rooks are particu
larly good at stopping passed pawns, and provided White plays actively, the danger of losing can easily be nullified.
White should not play 1 l:.g8-g3+? �d3-c2 2 l:.g3-g2+ �c2-c3 3 l:.g2-g3+? d4-d3 4 .l:.g3-g l ? d3-d2 as the black king is on hand to guide the
pawns home. This would be playing too passively because (as we know by now) the rook belongs behind the passed pawns (from where it is eas
ier both to monitor the pawns and to trouble the enemy king).
Correct is:
1 l:lg8-b8 'iti>d3-c2 2 l:.b8-c8+
A key idea is to check and sub
sequently force the king in front of one of the pawns in order to attack the other.
Black will never have the time to advance either pawn.
We can conclude from this ex
ample that White could give Black even more of a head start with these pawns as long as they are isolated like this. Connected passed pawns, however, are far more difficult for the defending rook to handle, for the attacking king can provide support to the pawns which in turn offer cover from spoiling checks.
Similarly in the position below, even with the move, White is in big trouble:
The outside passed pawns, which would be overwhelming in a king and pawn endgame and extremely useful in a minor piece endgame, prove to be only a minor annoyance to the black rook. The black rook is superbly placed, observing the h-pawn, keeping the white king pinned down and ready to swing over to the a-file should the need arise.
The alternative 2 . . . l:.h2-a2? runs into 3 h5-h6!, when 3 ... l:.a2xa4? 4 h6-h7 .J:.a4-al + 5 �e l -f2 l:.al-h 1 loses to 6 l:.h8-e8+ (allowing 7 h7-h8'ii').
3 h5-h6
White' s rook is extremely pas
sive, but he does have a plan. With the pawn on h7 at least White can force his opponent to leave his rook on the h-file and to keep his king sheltered by pawns, thus giving the a-pawn a free run to promotion. For
tunately for Black he, too, has an ef
fective strategy available, and this is the more dangerous of the two.
3 ... �d4-e3
Black's king moves into a domi
nant position and mate is threatened.
It is this combination of king, rook and pawn providing this threat which prompted me to say earlier
64 The Soldiers
how extra centre pawns are generally better than outside pawns in rook and pawn(s) endgames.
4 �el-dl d5-d4 5 h6-h7 d4-d3 ( D) Again White must avoid mate, and in doing so his king will no longer be blockading Black's pawns.
6 �dl-cl 7 �cl-b2 8 .l:.h8-d8
.l:.h2-hl+
d3-d2
Obviously White does not want to part with his h-pawn, but the simple fact is that Black is threatening to queen. Black is happy to spend time digesting the h-pawn.
8 l:thlxh7
9 'iti>b2-c2 l:th7-c7+
10 �c2-b2
I suppose 10 'it>c2-d 1 1:.c7-c l # would be less painful !
10 ... l:tc7-cl Or 10 . . . 'it>e3-e2, both forcing the inevitable. Black wins.
Conclusion: isolated pawns are obviously weaker than connected
pawns, but when they become passed they may easily provide more of a threat in king, queen (remember -unlike rooks, queens can get out from in front of passed pawns) and minor
piece endings. However, when rooks are involved in any endgame permu
tation, connected passed pawns are preferable.