Tactical pawn sacrifice to force a runner through a locked defense.
Why it matters
A breakthrough is a pawn sacrifice that opens a path for another pawn. Three pawns against three, all blocked, looks like nothing — and it can be a forced win, because the pawns are faster than the pieces guarding them.
It is worth knowing as a pattern rather than a calculation. Once you have seen the b6 and c6 idea once, you spot it instantly, and it appears in king and pawn endgames constantly.
See it on a board
Six blocked pawns and a forced queen. Whichever way Black captures, the middle pawn opens the file for the one that runs.
Checked: the position really has the feature described.
How to play it
- Look for three pawns against three, or two against two, with the enemy king too far away.
- Push the middle pawn first, so that whichever way the opponent captures, the other file opens.
- Count the race exactly before committing, because a breakthrough that is one tempo short simply loses two pawns.
At each level
The same idea, said the way it is taught at each age.
Rook · ages 6–9
Three pawns against three can force a passed pawn. Push the middle one, and whichever pawn takes it, the other side opens.
Queen · ages 8–11
Count the resulting race to the end before you sacrifice. The breakthrough is only correct when your pawn queens first, or with check.
What goes wrong
- Playing the breakthrough with the enemy king close enough to catch the runner.
- Pushing the outside pawn first, which lets the opponent capture and keep the files closed.
Questions people ask
- How do I know when a breakthrough works?
- Count the moves to promotion for both sides, including the captures. If your pawn arrives first, or arrives with check, it works — and if it is one move short, it never does.