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
Passed pawn
A pawn with no enemy pawns able to block or capture it on its way to promotion.
Isolated pawn
A pawn with no friendly pawns on the files beside it, so no pawn can defend it.
Outpost
A square in or near enemy territory, protected by a pawn, where a piece can sit untouchable.
Endgame
The final phase of the game, once most pieces are traded off and the king becomes an active fighting piece.
See Blockade in your own games
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