A pawn that has fallen behind its neighbors and cannot advance safely or be defended by another pawn.
Why it matters
A backward pawn has been left behind by its neighbours. It cannot advance safely, and no pawn can defend it, so every attack on it has to be met by a piece.
The square in front of it is usually the bigger problem. Because no pawn covers that square, an enemy knight can sit there permanently, and the pawn behind it is stuck defending itself.
See it on a board
Black's pawns on c5 and e5 have gone past d6, which can no longer be defended by a pawn or advanced safely. The d-file is White's road to it.
Checked: the position really has the feature described.
How to play it
- Look for a pawn whose neighbours on both sides have advanced past it.
- Attack it along the semi-open file with rooks, so it stays where it is.
- Occupy the square in front of it with a knight, and the pawn can never be freed.
At each level
The same idea, said the way it is taught at each age.
Bishop · ages 5–7
A pawn with both neighbours in front of it is stuck. It cannot be defended by another pawn, so pieces have to babysit it.
Rook · ages 6–9
Play against the square, not only the pawn. Winning d5 for a knight is usually worth more than winning the d6 pawn itself.
What goes wrong
- Advancing a backward pawn just to be rid of it, and losing it for nothing.
- Creating one voluntarily by pushing the neighbouring pawns without thinking about what is left behind.
Questions people ask
- Is a backward pawn always bad?
- Only if it can be attacked. On a closed file, with no enemy rook able to reach it, a backward pawn can sit there all game without ever mattering.