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Worksheet: Passed Pawns

Topic: endgame | Level: 3 | Week 9

A passed pawn has no enemy pawn in front of it on its file or the next files, so it can become a star of the endgame.

Why This Matters

  • Passed pawns matter because no enemy pawn can stop them from straight in front or from the next file over.
  • They become stronger when your king or rook can stand behind them and help them march.
  • Sometimes the best way to create one is to trade pawns at just the right moment.

Objectives

  • Define a passed pawn in kid-friendly words.
  • Create a passed pawn by pushing or capturing at the right moment.
  • Notice that passed pawns become much stronger when a king or piece can support them.

Practice Tasks

  1. Write the definition of a passed pawn using the words “same file” and “next file.”
  2. Why can an outside passed pawn be extra annoying for the defender?
  3. Solve the practice positions and label each new passed pawn as center, side, or outside.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4
Board 5
Board 6
Board 7

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

Push the pawn so it becomes a real passed pawn.

Practice 2

Create a passed pawn by capturing the blocker.

Practice 3

Black to move: push the pawn so it becomes passed.

Practice 4

Use a capture to make an outside passed pawn.

Mini-Game

Play this with a partner. Every time a pawn move happens, stop and ask: “Is it passed yet? If yes, how can we support it?”

Answer Key

Passed Pawns

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Passed Pawns.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: Write the definition of a passed pawn using the words “same file” and “next file.”

    A passed pawn has no enemy pawn in front of it on its own file or the files next to it.

  2. Prompt: Why can an outside passed pawn be extra annoying for the defender?

    It can drag the enemy king far away from the rest of the pawns and pieces.

  3. Prompt: Solve the practice positions and label each new passed pawn as center, side, or outside.

    Practice 1 and 2 create center passed pawns, Practice 3 shows Black doing the same, and Practice 4 makes an outside passed pawn.

Model Line

  1. d6
  2. Kg8
  3. d7
  4. Kf7
  5. d8=Q
  6. Kg6

Practice Position Solutions

Passed Pawns — Practice 1

Push the pawn so it becomes a real passed pawn.

Solution: d5

After d5, no black pawn stands in front of it on the c-, d-, or e-files. That makes it a passed pawn.

Passed Pawns — Practice 2

Create a passed pawn by capturing the blocker.

Solution: cxd5

The capture lands on d5 and removes the only pawn that was stopping White from having a passed pawn.

Passed Pawns — Practice 3

Black to move: push the pawn so it becomes passed.

Solution: e4

Black’s pawn on e4 has no white pawns ahead of it on the d-, e-, or f-files, so it becomes a passed pawn too.

Passed Pawns — Practice 4

Use a capture to make an outside passed pawn.

Solution: axb5

After axb5, White owns a passed pawn far from the kingside. Outside passed pawns can pull the enemy king away.