Strategy
Blockade
Placing a piece directly in front of an enemy pawn to stop it advancing.
A pawn cannot capture the piece squarely in front of it, so a blockading piece — ideally a knight — is both safe and useful, halting the pawn while doing other jobs.
Blockading an isolated or passed pawn neutralises its dynamism and turns it back into a plain weakness.
Why it matters
Knowing to blockade rather than merely attack a dangerous pawn is a mark of real positional understanding.
The mistake everyone makes
Letting a passed pawn reach a square where it can never be blockaded, then watching it promote.
Related terms
See Blockade in your own games
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