Pawn Breakthroughs | Chess Middlegames

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Knowing how and when to push through with your pawns is a key aspect of chess strategy. Pawn breakthroughs are used to gain space, create a passed pawn or to free up pieces, which can be essential for victory!

I have used several examples to show the power of a timely pawn break. Some of them were endgame examples, which I have included to show thematic patterns which may occur during a real game, but the emphasis is on real game positions in which you have to be able to spot potential pawn breaks which could benefit your pieces, your pawn chain, your king safety, or any other essential aspect of your position.

Training your eye to spot pawn breaks and solving problems involving them will increase the chance that you will react properly over the board and diminish the chances of making crucial blunders or missing crucial opportunities.

Types of pawn breaks you are going to get in your games will depend on what type of positions you play. Depending on the opening, you might have a “break filled” pawn structure every game, or you might only seldom use them.

Some openings which have closed pawn structures and a closed center, such as the French Defense or the Benoni, are well known for the pawn breaks players have to play. In fact, in those two examples, if the thematic pawn breakthroughs aren’t played the position is unbearable! Imagine an advance French in which black deliberately chooses not to play c5. He would have a lost position. Or a Meran in which the bishop stays entombed on b7 with the pawn stuck forever on c6. Pawn breaks are sometimes mandatory.

I have tried to give examples which will serve as a “how to” for studying pawn breakthroughs. From here on, I would advise you to analyze game. Any games really (better if they’re 2000+ ELO) and try to find potential pawn breaks or try to figure out why a player has played one. It might be best to use game examples in openings which you play yourself in order to get a feeling which types of pawn breaks might occur in your games. Good luck studying!

#chess

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