In short: A pawn with no enemy pawns in front of it, neither on its own file nor on the files next to it.
A pawn can be stopped by an enemy pawn in two ways: it can be blocked from straight ahead, or captured diagonally from in front. A passed pawn is spared both. There are no enemy pawns in front of it, neither on its own file nor on the files next to it.
A passed pawn constantly threatens to go all the way and promote to a queen. Your opponent often has to leave a piece on guard in front of it, and that piece then does nothing else. The further the passed pawn gets, the more it costs to stop.
Breakthrough: create a passed pawn
Sometimes you can create a passed pawn by sacrificing pawns. This position is a classic example. Three pawns face three, and it all looks completely locked.
Show the solution step by step
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Good to know
- Blockade it. The best place for a defender is often the square directly in front of the passed pawn.
- Rooks behind. An old rule of thumb says the rooks belong behind the passed pawn, your own or your opponent's.
- A protected passed pawn. A passed pawn protected by a pawn of its own is especially hard to get rid of.
Read more about isolated pawns and doubled pawns, two other kinds of pawns with names of their own.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a passed pawn so strong?
It threatens to go all the way and become a queen. Your opponent often has to leave a piece on guard in front of it, and that piece then does nothing else.
What does it mean to blockade a passed pawn?
Putting a piece on the square directly in front of it. Then the pawn can't get any further. A knight is often a good blockader.
What is a protected passed pawn?
A passed pawn that is protected by a pawn of its own. The king can't take it, so it is especially hard to get rid of.
Updated October 31, 2026
The starting position. Press ▶ or use the arrow keys.