Using and Defeating Blocking Pawn Structures

Placing pawns to make an opponent’s pieces passive is a very strong strategic weapon. Classical blocking pawn structures that limit the opponent’s pieces are normally built in the center, as we see on the example board, but we can generally create them anywhere.

In this example, knight f6 and bishop b7 are pressuring the e4 pawn and the d5 central square, but it is useless for now. Furthermore, the knight does not have the g4 square and only corner or back jumping moves are left. The most that black can do is to sacrifice the piece on e4, which would not be a wise decision.

So, what are the concrete benefits of creating this pawn construction?

It is very similar to hockey. Two players – knight f6 and Bishop b7 – are “out of the game” for now, as happens with hockey players when they get red cards. Black can begin maneuvers to bring the knight and bishop to other places, where they will be able to enter into the game again and create threats, as hockey players would come back into the play after few minutes. However, for a while White will have more pieces in the game, which can cause serious problems. It is also unclear when, exactly, the black pieces will be back in active play.

Solving the Problem of “Blocking Pawn Structures”

There are few ways to deal with the problems of blocking pawn structures.

1. White to play

   Avoid the blocking pawn structure before the opponent creates it. We see an example of this option from the game Kasparov – Korchnoi. White sacrificed a pawn for initiative, but Black has positional threat to play e7-e5! This move will cut Knight f3 and Bishop b2 out from the play, and the loss of two peices would make it hard to develop initiative. Kasparov plays 1. e4-e5! and avoids Black’s blocking construction.

2. Black to play

   Destroy the blocking construction with your own pawns. Sacrificing pieces for an opponent’s pawn is a dubious idea, while we easily can exchange pawns for an opponent’s blocking structure and liberate our pieces. In this example Black continues with: 1… c7-c5! with idea of b5-b4 destroying the diagonal a1- g7 and liberating the g7 Bishop. After which, that bishop will become an important attacking piece against the white King.

3. White to play

   Take away the piece from the blocking pawn structure to make it alive. In the last example we see that Knight c3 is very passive because of the c6-d5 pawns. White does not have the possibility to attack that blocking construction with own pawns and the only option is to start a Knight maneuver and activate it from another square. White played – 1. Nb1! with idea Nf3-e5.

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