The Backward Pawn | Chess Middlegames

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A backward pawn is a grave positional disadvantage, and it could easily mean victory for the side attacking it.

The most important lesson to learn when it comes to chess middlegame play is how to create and exploit weaknessed. The backward pawn is a perfect example of that. There are two types of weaknesses; static and dynamic ones. Dynamic weaknesses (such as tactical opportunities) go away and should be exploited momentarily, otherwise you will have missed your chance. Static weaknesses, on the other hand, stay put and you can go about exploiting them slowly, without having to rush.

Backward pawns are static weaknesses and the best approach to either winning them or using them is to slowly maneuver, take time and be patient. There are five key steps to consider:

1. Does your opponent have counter play? The most important thing to consider while going after a positional weakness is whether your opponent can harm you in the meantime. Firstly, make sure you have prevented your opponent from gaining a dangerous initiative.
2. Fix the weakness first. Static weaknesses need to be fixed, and only then attacked. Make the pawn immobile, and prepare your troops for the attack.
3. Use the weak square in front of the pawn! The outpost in front of the backward pawn is a huge positional weakness. Having a knight on it would greatly damage your opponent’s position.
4. Force a second weakness. This is a concept which can be applied to chess in general. It is said that one requires two weaknesses to win the game. If you are playing against a backward pawn, a good idea might be to fix it and go about creating a second weakness, thus forcing your opponent to lose focus and fight on two fronts.
5. Attack with all your pieces.

When you have a backward pawn, and are forced to defend the position, the best was to play is aggressively. In case of static positional weaknesses which would be fatal in an endgame, trading pieces is off bounds, and piece activity is your number one priority.
The backward pawn most often arises from the Sicilian Defense when black plays e5, expanding in the center and leaving himself with the weak and backward d6 pawn. And, as you know, the Sicilian is a very aggressive opening, and a perfect example of what initiative in exchange for positional weaknesses means. Players with black accept the d6 weakness in order to be able to attack with as many pieces as possible as soon as possible.

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