Isolated pawns made easy – IM Sopiko Guramishvili

Overview

Isolated pawns – are they a weakness or a strength? Well, that all depends as WGM Sopiko Guramishvili reveals in this course on an important part of your positional chess education.

An isolated pawn (IP) can give more space for your pieces and prove to be a useful weapon in attack itself and the ability to push the pawn forward opening key lines can make it a real menace.

However, if the opponent can restrain the pawn and trade off minor pieces then it might become a target in the endgame.

Sopiko draws on a number of instructive examples to show exactly how you should handle the isolated pawn, whether you are in possession of it or your opponent is.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1. An introduction

2. Attacking with an IP: Part 1

3. Attacking with an IP: Part 2

4. Breaking through

5. Potential weaknesses

6. Wrap-up