Passed Pawn - Complete Guide
A passed pawn is a powerful asset. Learn how to create, advance, and use it to win.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Philidor said that pawns are the soul of chess, and nowhere is this more true than with the passed pawn. A passed pawn on the sixth rank can be worth more than a minor piece. Its potential to promote dominates every calculation in the position.
What Is a Passed Pawn?
A passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns in front of it or on the adjacent files that can block or capture it. Its path to promotion is clear of enemy pawn obstacles. Only pieces can stop it.
Passed pawns are one of the most significant advantages in chess, especially in endgames. The threat of promotion forces the opponent to dedicate pieces to stopping the pawn, which often leaves them passive and tied down.
Types of Passed Pawns
- Protected Passed Pawn - A passed pawn that is defended by another pawn. This is especially powerful because it does not require a piece to guard it. The supporting pawn does the job, freeing your pieces for other tasks.
- Outside Passed Pawn - A passed pawn far from the main action, typically on the a or h file. In king and pawn endgames, an outside passed pawn is often decisive because the opposing king must chase it, leaving the rest of the board undefended.
- Connected Passed Pawns - Two passed pawns on adjacent files that can protect each other as they advance. Connected passed pawns on the sixth rank are nearly unstoppable, even against a rook.
How to Create a Passed Pawn
You create a passed pawn by exchanging or eliminating the opposing pawns that stand in its way. This often involves a pawn sacrifice or a well-timed pawn break. Look for positions where you have a pawn majority on one side of the board - you can use the majority to create a passer.
The classic technique is to advance your majority. If you have pawns on a2, b2, and c2 against pawns on a7 and b7, you can create a passed c-pawn by advancing and exchanging correctly. This technique appears constantly in endgames.
Timing matters enormously. Create the passed pawn when you have enough pieces to support its advance and when your opponent is poorly positioned to stop it.
Passed Pawn FAQ
Is a passed pawn always an advantage?
Almost always, but the advantage varies. A passed pawn deep in your own territory with no support is less valuable than one on the fifth or sixth rank with pieces behind it. The closer to promotion, the more dangerous.
How should I blockade a passed pawn?
Place a piece directly in front of the passed pawn to prevent its advance. Knights are excellent blockaders because they do not lose mobility when blocking. The blockading piece should be supported so it cannot be easily driven away.
Professor Archer says: The passed pawn must be pushed. This old advice is simple but profound. Do not sit on a passed pawn. Advance it when the time is right, and make your opponent deal with its march toward promotion.
Quick Quiz
Why is an outside passed pawn especially powerful in king and pawn endgames?
- It promotes faster than other pawns - An outside passed pawn does not inherently promote faster. Its power comes from its distance from the main action.
- It forces the opposing king to leave the center to stop it (Correct) - Correct. The opposing king must run to the side of the board to stop the outside passer, leaving the rest of the pawns undefended for your king to gobble up.
- It cannot be captured - Any pawn can be captured by pieces or the king. The outside passer is powerful because of how far the king must travel to catch it.
- It automatically queens - No pawn automatically queens. The outside passer creates a diversion that wins material elsewhere on the board.