- A pawn island is one or a group of pawns separated by a file from pawns of the same side
- The pawns at the edges of islands are not necessarily isolated or hanging, but they are limited in the support they can get without making weakness. So, having fewer pawn islands in the endgame is an advantage.
- The term comes from Capablanca: in his game against Shipley, he enters a King and Pawn endgame with three pawn islands facing four; in his game against Kostic, he plays a Rook endgame with three Pawn islands against four
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[Event "Philadelphia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Capablanca, JR."]
[Black "Shipley, WP."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C12"]
[Annotator "exchanges"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1924.??.??"]
{[%mdl 1]} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 gxf6 8. Qd2 c5 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Qe3 cxd4 11. cxd4 Bd7 12. Bd3 Qa5+ 13. Ke2 O-O-O 14. Rhb1 e5 {"Don't simplify against Capablanca!", I keep telling them at the office. CHERNEV} 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5 17. Qxe5 fxe5 18. Be4 Bc6 19. Bxc6 bxc6 20. Rb3 Kc7 21. Rab1 Rb8 22. Rxb8 Rxb8 23. Rxb8 Kxb8 {White has three pawn islands, Black has four.} 24. Kd3 Kc7 25. Ke4 Kd6 26. g4 Ke6 27. h4 f6 28. f4 exf4 29. Kxf4 h6 30. c3 a6 31. a3 a5 32. a4 Ke7 33. Kf5 c5 34. c4 1-0
[Event "Havana"]
[Site "weak pawns: pawn islands"]
[Date "1913.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Capablanca, JR."]
[Black "Kupchik, Abraham"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C49"]
[Annotator "pawn islands"]
[PlyCount "135"]
[EventDate "1913.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nxe5 Qe8 {[#]} 8. Nd3 Bxc3 9. dxc3 Qxe4 (9... Nxe4 10. Re1) 10. Re1 Qh4 11. Qf3 Ba6 12. Bf4 Rac8 13. Be5 {(idea /\ Nc5)} Bxd3 14. cxd3 Qg4 15. Bxf6 Qxf3 16. gxf3 gxf6 {[#] Assessment: +/- better Pawns, fewer Pawn islands, more active pieces. The weakest spot in the Black position is the isolated a-Pawn, and it is here that an attack should be directed.} 17. Re4 {First, Capablanca mobilises and centralises his pieces. There is never any sense of rush when Capa plays an ending. This ease of mobilisation is a dynamic advantage to add to the static ones just listed.} Rfe8 18. Rae1 Re6 19. R1e3 Rce8 20. Kf1 Kf8 21. Ke2 Ke7 {[#] Now, White can attack the a-pawn.} 22. Ra4 Ra8 23. Ra5 {restrains the Pawns} d5 $5 {I can sympathise with the bid for space but this is not forced and has the disadvantage of leaving the c-Pawns without support.} 24. c4 $1 Kd6 (24... dxc4 {leaves all Black's Pawns isolated and most of them doubled!}) (24... d4 25. Re4 Kd6 26. b4 Re5 27. Ra6 {'hopeless', said Capa}) 25. c5+ Kd7 26. d4 {Black's pawns have become fixed, cutting off the Queen's-side.} f5 {Hoping to nip out to h6 with some play.} 27. Rxe6 $1 fxe6 28. f4 {Clearing the third rank for a Rook} Kc8 29. Kd2 Kb7 $6 {[#] Black has achieved a solid defence of the a-Pawn and Whiite can achieve little else there. But White has access to both sides of the board via the third rank.} (29... Rb8 $5 30. Kc3 (30. b3 {blocks the third rank}) (30. Kc2 Rb4 31. Kc3 Rc4+ 32. Kd3 Rb4) 30... Rb7 {may have been better}) 30. Ra3 Rg8 31. Rh3 Rg7 {This defence from the side keeps the Black Rook more active than moving it to defend from h8, but I'm sure Black also considered ...Rg1!?, giving up a Pawn to get the Rook active. It looks a bit speculative here but is the right sort of idea to have in mind.} 32. Ke2 Ka6 33. Rh6 Re7 34. Kd3 Kb7 35. h4 Kc8 36. Rh5 Kd7 37. Rg5 Rf7 {[#] Again, Black has achieved a solid, if passive, defence. White now returns his attention to the Queen's-side.} 38. Kc3 Kc8 39. Kb4 Rf6 40. Ka5 Kb7 41. a4 a6 42. h5 Rh6 {[#] White is poised on both fronts but can improve the position of his pieces no further. It is time to try and force the issue. '[#] White can improve the position of his pieces no further. It is time to try and force the issue.'} 43. b4 Rf6 44. b5 $5 (44. Rg7 $1 Rh6 {first would have been better, according to Capa:} 45. b5 axb5 46. axb5 cxb5 (46... Rxh5 47. b6) 47. Kxb5 {e.g.} Rxh5 48. c6+ Kb8 49. Ka6) 44... axb5 45. axb5 Rf8 {Off to sieze the a-file!} (45... Rf7 46. h6 Re7 47. Rg7 {is hopeless: so Black must counterattack.}) 46. Rg7 Ra8+ 47. Kb4 cxb5 48. Kxb5 Ra2 {[#] Black has gained some activity. Of course, White does not retreat and defend with Rg2.} 49. c6+ Kb8 50. Rxh7 {White has an h-pawn. Can the lone Black Rook do enough to compensate?} Rb2+ 51. Ka5 Ra2+ 52. Kb4 Rxf2 53. Re7 Rxf4 $6 {Natural, but not exact.} (53... Rb2+ 54. Kc3 Rh2 55. Rxe6 Ka7 56. h6 Kb6 {which isn't great but Black is also fighting with the King now}) (53... Rh2 $2 54. Rxe6 Rxh5 55. Re5 Ka7 56. Kc5) 54. h6 Rxd4+ 55. Kb5 Rd1 56. h7 {A Pawn on the seventh seems worth three in the bush! Black can only hope to harass the King with checks, but these are soon exhausted.} Rb1+ 57. Kc5 Rc1+ 58. Kd4 Rd1+ 59. Ke5 Re1+ 60. Kf6 Rh1 61. Re8+ Ka7 62. h8=Q Rxh8 63. Rxh8 Kb6 64. Kxe6 Kxc6 65. Kxf5 Kc5 66. Ke5 c6 67. Rh6 Kb5 68. Kd4 {1-0 (68) Capablanca,J-Kupchik,A Havana 1913} 1-0