Chess Patterns ❯ Types of Passed Pawns ❯ Protected Passed Pawn

Protected Passed Pawn

A Protected Passed Pawn is a passed pawn that is supported by another pawn. In the endgame, this type of pawn can be a powerful advantage because it can tie down the opponent's pieces and King to a very confined area. In the diagram above, White has all the time to capture Black's a-pawn and come back to support the advance of the g-pawn.

Ideas for when you have a Protected Passed Pawn: (1) Don't rush its advance, its value is highest in the endgame, (2) If you are in a closed position, open it up, (3) Aim at favorable types of endgames, e.g. endgames with just major pieces or with pawns on both wings. Ideas against a Protected Passed Pawn: (1) Blockade it, preferably with a Knight, (2) Attack the pawn chain that supports it, (3) Keep the minor pieces and use them against the passed pawn.

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Master the Protected Passed Pawns

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Protected Passed Pawns. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of passed pawns.

Pawn Endgames - Lesson 13 - Part 1 - Protected passed Pawns
Have a look at this excellent introduction to Protected Passed Pawns by growing YouTube channel Master your Chess with Coach B.. It is part of a very good series on Pawn Endgames.

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Chess Lesson # 39: Passed Pawns
This nice video by NM Robert Ramirez puts the concept of Protected Passed Pawns in the wider context of Pawn Endgames and explains with examples and exercises why they are so powerful.

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AlphaZero and the Protected Passed Pawn
This engaging video by ChessNetwork is for the intermediate players who want to see how the best Chess AI (Alphazero) deals with the concept of Protected Passers. Very instructive.

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Understanding Chess Endgames*
Another wonderful book by John Nunn! This time, his clear writing helps readers grasp the essence of endgame patterns. Plus, there's a full chapter dedicated to the Protected Passed Pawn. Highly recommended.

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Secrets of Pawn Endings*
This very detailed work by Müller, Lamprecht, John Nunn is a deep dive into Pawn Endings. Serious chess players will find here incredibly valuable, well-organized guidance on this crucial aspect of the game.

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Protected Passed Pawn