| 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. |
