Passed pawns, open files and plans is lesson 2 of 2 in Pawn structure and plans, a strategy course suited to players rated around 1100 (improving players). A passed pawn wants to run, and a rook wants an open file. Let the pawns tell you the plan. It has 4 interactive exercises: 3 find-the-move puzzles, 1 board-square exercise. You play every move on a board and get feedback straight away. The lesson is free.
What this lesson explains
A passed pawn has no enemy pawn in front of it, on its own file or on the files next to it. Nothing but pieces can stop it. Passed pawns get stronger as they move forward, so the stronger side pushes them, and the other side blocks them.
Recap.
An isolated pawn needs pieces to guard it, and the square in front of it is a home for an enemy knight.
Doubled pawns are slow and cannot guard each other.
Push passed pawns, with the rook behind them.
Put your rooks on open files.
With a pawn majority, lead with the pawn that has no opponent.
What you practise
Tap every passed pawn, white or black.
You have a passed a-pawn. The best place for your rook is behind it, on the same file. Then every step the pawn takes makes your rook stronger. Put your rook there.
An open file has no pawns on it. Rooks love open files, because they can reach far into the enemy camp. Find the open file here and put a rook on it.
You have three pawns against two on the queenside. That is a majority, and your plan is to turn it into a passed pawn. Start with the pawn that has no enemy pawn in front of it.
Worked examples
Tap every passed pawn, white or black. Right. No black pawn stands in front of d5, on the c, d or e file. And no white pawn can ever meet the c3 pawn. The b4 pawn is not passed, because the a6 pawn guards b5.
You have a passed a-pawn. The best place for your rook is behind it, on the same file. Then every step the pawn takes makes your rook stronger. Put your rook there. Good. The rook pushes the pawn from behind. If Black's rook stands in front of the pawn, it gets more and more passive.
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