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Backward pawn, Straggler |
A half-free pawn on the second or third rank whose stop square lacks pawn protection but is controlled by a sentry. |
| Basic duo |
A duo where one of the pawns constitutes the base of a chain. |
| Buffer duo |
Two opposing duos facing each other with one rank in between. |
| Candidate |
Unopposed or half-free pawn. |
| Center lever |
A lever wholly within the two center files. |
| Center pawn |
Pawn on the d- or e-file. |
| Centerswap |
A capture from and to the d- or e-file that produces a doubled pawn. |
| Chain |
A diagonal pawn formations, identified by the number of their links (pawns). |
| Chain lever |
Adjacent levers in a diagonal formation, where the respective headpawns attack the base of the opposing chain, e.g., f5, g4 vs. g6, h5. Produces passed pawns. |
| Compound formation |
A formation consisting of several descriptive categories whose defining characteristics depend on the perspective from which it is viewed, e.g., d4, e4 vs. d5
- could be described as a center ram, center duo, tight duo, lever duo, center lever, tight lever, duo lever, etc. |
| Conditional backwardness |
A pawn that is backward in only certain respects. |
| Counterpawn |
Directly opposing pawn. |
| Cross lever |
Four immediately and directly opposing pawns, two of each color, e.g., d4, e4 vs. d5, e5. |
| Dispersion |
The vertical splitting of pawns (most commonly, isolation) caused by captures. |
| Distortion |
The horizontal splitting of pawns caused by advances. |
| Double lever |
An innerpawn under simultaneous attack from both adjacent files. It may be loose or tight. |
| Double pawns, Twins |
Friendly pawns on the same file. |
| Doubling, Undoubling |
The creation or elimination of a double pawn formation. |
| Duo |
Two adjacent pawns of the same color on the same rank that mutually cover the other's stop square. |
| Dynamical Obstruction |
Opposing pawns on adjacent files. |
| Faker |
A half-free pawn with inadequate helpers. |
| Fork lever |
A lever attacking two units at once (can include a piece). |
| Free pawn, passed pawn, passer |
A pawn with no counterpawn and no opposing sentries. |
| Frontspan |
Vertical distance between a pawn and the forward edge of the board. |
| Front-twin |
The foremost doubled pawn. |
| Half-free pawn |
Pawn with opposing pawns or pawn on adjacent files. |
| Hanging duo |
An isolated pair of half-free pawns. |
| Head-duo |
The headpawn and a friendly pawn in contact with it. |
| Headpawn |
The foremost pawn in a pawn formation. |
| Helper |
A candidate's own pawn on an adjacent file. |
| Home pawn |
Pawn on the castled side of the board. |
| Home side |
The castled side of the board. |
| Inner lever |
A lever where the capture would move toward the center. |
| Innerpawn |
Pawn on one of the files b-g. |
| Interspan |
Vertical distance between two opposing pawns. |
| Innerswap |
A capture towards the center that produces a doubled pawn. |
| Lee |
Shorter side of the horizontal beam of the pawn cross. |
| Lever |
Two opposing pawns in contact that can capture each other. |
| Local majority |
A pawn majority on one wing. |
| Loose duo |
A duo not in contact with an opposing pawn(s). |
| Loose lever |
A lever where each side has the option of capturing or bypassing. |
| Loose twin |
A double pawn whose undoubling is a possibility. |
| Luff |
Longer side of the horizontal beam of the pawn cross. |
| Mechanical Obstruction |
Opposing pawn on the same file. |
| Mute chain lever |
A chain lever in which the bases of the opposing pawn chains are not attacked, e.g., a5, b4, c3 vs. a7, b6, c5. Doesnt produce passers. |
| Outer lever |
A lever where the capture would move away from the center. |
| Outerswap |
A capture towards the rim that produces a doubled pawn. |
| Outside passer |
A passed pawn removed from the bulk of opposing pawns. |
| passed pawn, passer, Free pawn |
A pawn with no counterpawn and no opposing sentries. |
| Passer duo |
A duo of two passed pawns. |
| Pawn-cross |
Cross formed along the rank and file on which the pawn sits with the pawn itself at the center of the cross. |
| Pincer lever |
Two levers that convergingly attack a chain of two pawns, including it's base, e.g., b2, c3 vs. a3, d4. |
| Protected passer |
A passed pawn protected by one or more helpers. |
| Quart |
Four horizontal friendly pawns. |
| Quartgrip |
Prototype of the siege. A formation of four vs. four pawns in which the shorter frontspan constitutes a great advantage. |
| Ram |
Two deadlocked, directly opposing pawns. |
| Ranger |
Pawn on the uncastled side of the board. |
| Ranger side |
The uncastled side of the board. |
| Rearspan |
Vertical distance between a pawn and the rear edge of the board. |
| Rear-twin |
The least-advanced doubled pawn. |
| Rimpawn |
Pawn on either the a- or h-file. |
| Saw |
A zigzag pawn formation (most commonly seen in the Stonewall formation). |
| Sentry |
Opposing pawn on an adjacent file. |
| Sham twin |
A double pawn whose undoubling is assured beforehand. |
| Shielding |
A pawn or a piece being protected from frontal assault by the opposing pawn whose stop or telestop it is occupying. |
| Siege |
Shielded backwardness that paralyzes a whole formation of pawns. |
| Sneaker |
An unfree pawn or faker that may become a passer through a sacrificial combination. |
| Span |
The pawn's vertical distance from the edges of the board. |
| Straggler, Backward pawn |
A half-free pawn on the second or third rank whose stop square lacks pawn protection but is controlled by a sentry. |
| Stopsquare, stop |
The square directly in front of a pawn. |
| Symmetrical exchange |
An exchange eliminating a pawn and its counterpawn. Reduces chances for levers and opens a file. Typically stabilizing. E.g., 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5. |
| Telestops |
Squares beyond the stop square in the frontspan of a pawn. |
| Tight duo |
A duo in contact with an opposing pawn(s), whose axis forms a ram. |
| Tight lever |
A lever including a ram, that offers only one side the option of both capture and bypass, e.g., c4, d4 vs. d5, e6. |
| Tight twin |
A double pawn whose undoubling by force is theoretically impossible. |
| Triad |
A group of three pawns including a non-isolated twin, e.g., b2, b3, c2. A triad of unfree pawns is unable to produce a passer against a duo. |
| Trio |
Three horizontal friendly pawns. |
| Twins, Double pawns |
Friendly pawns on the same file. |
| Undoubling, Doubling |
The creation or elimination of a double pawn formation. |
| Unfree pawn |
Pawn with a counterpawn. |
| Unsymmetrical exchange |
A dynamic exchange resulting in a half-open file and half-free pawn for each side. E.g., 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3. cxd5 exd5. |
| Wedge |
Two converging chains reaching into enemy territory. |
| Wing pawn |
Pawn on the files a-c or f-h. |
