The Isolated Pawn:
Part of the Advanced Beginner's Chess Guide (Section 1) and the
Chess Strategies Guide (Section 2: Studying the Pawns)

The Isolated Pawn

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• Point Count Chess: Isolated Pawn [-];

Also known as an "Isolani", this is any Pawn whose friendly Pawns have left the adjacent file(s), leaving a Pawn on its own, without friendly Pawn support. The Isolani is at greater risk of being captured, or may tie up one or more Pieces for its defence.

In Diagram 1, below, both White and Black have an Isolated Pawn: Look all the way along the b-file - the adjacent file to the a-file - and you'll notice there is no White Pawn, leaving White's a-pawn all on it's own, without pawn-support ... it's Isolated from its fellow pawns.

As for Black's d-Pawn, you can see there are no Black (friendly) Pawns on either adjacent c-file or e-file, respectively, leaving the d-Pawn lonely, vulnerable and Isolated.

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