- A pawn that cannot be protected by a neighbouring pawn, not even by advancing, and so, a likely weakness (Chekhover-Rudakowsky, Pillsbury-Mason)
- We often see backward pawns in the Sicilian Defence, where, as part of a strong position, they are not so weak (Zinn-Sveshnikov)
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[Event "URS-ch14 Semifinal"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chekhover, V."]
[Black "Rudakovsky, Iosif"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D60"]
[Annotator "pawns: backward"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O b5 {[#] Now the c-pawn is backward Black must undertake to advance it.} 12. Be2 a6 13. Ne4 Bb7 14. Ne5 Rac8 15. Nxd7 Qxd7 16. Nc5 Qc7 17. Rfd1 Rcd8 18. Rac1 Bc8 19. Qe4 Nf6 20. Qh4 Qa5 21. a3 b4 22. a4 Nd7 23. b3 Nxc5 24. Rxc5 Qb6 {[#] The Rook stops the advance of both the c- and e-pawns, which means Black's Bishop and other pieces will remain constrained.} 25. Rdc1 Bb7 26. a5 Qa7 27. Bd3 {[#] Chernev suggests adding up the legal moves of the pieces of each side. He reckons White's pieces are worth twice as much as Black's! We now enter a new phase, where a second front is opened on the King's-side.} (27. Bf3 $1) 27... g6 28. Qf6 Rd6 29. Qe7 Rfd8 30. h4 R8d7 31. Qf6 Qa8 32. Be4 Qe8 33. h5 Rd8 {[#] Something has to give.} 34. Bxc6 Bxc6 35. h6 Kf8 36. Rxc6 Rxc6 37. Rxc6 Rd7 (37... Qxc6 38. Qxd8+ Qe8 39. Qd6+ Kg8 40. Qxa6 {threat Qb7} Qe7 41. Qb6) 38. Rc8 Qxc8 39. Qh8+ {1-0 (39) Chekhover,V-Rudakowsky,I weak pawns: backward pawn 1945} 1-0
[Event "Logical Chess, Move by Move #17"]
[Site "Hastings ENG"]
[Date "2022.12.05"]
[Round "17"]
[White "Pillsbury"]
[Black "Mason"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D53"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nf3 b6 6. e3 Bb7 7. Rc1 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nbd7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qe2 Nd5 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bb5 Qd6 14. Rc2 c6 15. Bd3 Nf6 16. Rfc1 Rac8 17. Ba6 Bxa6 18. Qxa6 Rc7 19. Ne5 c5 20. Rxc5 Rxc5 21. Rxc5 Nd7 22. Rc6 Nb8 23. Rxd6 Nxa6 24. Nc6 g6 25. Nxa7 Ra8 26. Nc6 Kg7 27. a3 Rc8 28. g4 Nc7 29. Ne7 Rb8 30. Rd7 Ne6 31. Nxd5 Rc8 32. Nxb6 Rc2 33. b4 Ng5 34. a4 Ne4 35. a5 Nxf2 36. a6 1-0
[Event "Decin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zinn"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "pawns: backward"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 {[#] One of the most puzzling of modern variations: didn't the games on Knight outposts suggest that Black is virtually lost? Well, he is if White proceeds smoothly and Black has no counterplay.} 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 {[#] All according to plan A, but there are some differences: Black has an interesting collection of K-side pawns which may allow ...f6-f5 and ...Rg8, and White's Knight on a3 is taking no part in the struggle.} f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qh5 Bg7 13. O-O f4 14. c3 O-O 15. Nc2 f5 {[#] Black is making maximum use of the f-pawns and White looks at least as loose as Black.} 16. Ncb4 Nxb4 17. Nxb4 d5 18. exd5 Bd7 19. Bc2 Be8 20. Qe2 Kh8 21. Rad1 Qh4 22. f3 Rf6 23. Qe1 Qg5 24. Qxe5 Bd7 25. Qe7 Rg8 {Black follows his pawn sacrifice with a Bishop!} 26. Qxd7 Rf7 {[#] The f-pawns keep White's pieces from defending the King, and White has no answer to the vacating sacrifice ...Bd4.} 0-1