Protected Passed Pawn:
Part of the Advanced Beginner's Chess Guide (Section 1)

Protected Passed Pawn


  • Point Count Chess: Protected Passed Pawn [+];
A Protected Passed Pawn is Passed Pawn that has a friendly Pawn behind it, on an adjacent file, thus providing the "Passer" with defensive support, for the most part, protecting it from capture.

In Diagram 1, below, White's c-pawn is currently a Protected Passed Pawn ...
Protected Passed Pawn, Image 1, Advanced Beginners Chess Guide
Diagram 1: White's c-pawn is a
Protected Passed Pawn
However, White's b-pawn, currently just a standard Passed Pawn, can become the Protected Passed Pawn, if the c-pawn were to remain where it is, while the b-pawn advanced two squares, to b6, to then become Protected by the c5-pawn, as in Diagram 2, below ...
Protected Passed Pawn, Image 2, Advanced Beginners Chess Guide
Diagram 2: White's b-pawn is now the
Protected Passed Pawn
Although, with the Black Bishop where it is, the b-pawn should be moved to b5, to enable the c-pawn to advance to c6 and continue as the Protected Passer).

It is the increased protection and the lack of an enemy Pawn directly ahead of it to blockade that scores the point.

With two Pawns able two work together (one protecting the other), if the Pawn in the vanguard is captured, the rearward Pawn can recapture, take that other Pawn's place and, being one square further advanced, gets ever closer to Promotion.
Interactive Examples

Point Count Chess (Horowitz & Mott-Smith, 1960)

Further Reading

Point Count Chess (Horowitz & Mott-Smith, 1960)
  • The Protected Passed Pawn, (p250)
  • The Passed Pawn SUMMARY, (p254)


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