A blockade does not hold by itself

Step 1 of 7

Look first

Ask first: what is the threat? The opponent wants to break your blockade.

Your knight on d3 blockades the pawn on d4. One black pawn move would be dangerous for it. Tap the square this pawn wants to move to.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

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abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square a8, emptyb8, emptyc8, emptyd8, black rooke8, emptyf8, emptyg8, emptyh8, emptya7, emptyb7, emptyc7, emptyd7, emptye7, emptyf7, emptyg7, black kingh7, black pawna6, emptyb6, black pawnc6, emptyd6, emptye6, emptyf6, black pawng6, emptyh6, emptya5, emptyb5, emptyc5, black pawnd5, emptye5, black pawnf5, emptyg5, black pawnh5, emptya4, emptyb4, emptyc4, emptyd4, black pawne4, emptyf4, emptyg4, emptyh4, emptya3, emptyb3, emptyc3, emptyd3, white knighte3, emptyf3, emptyg3, emptyh3, emptya2, emptyb2, white pawnc2, emptyd2, emptye2, emptyf2, white pawng2, white pawnh2, white pawna1, emptyb1, emptyc1, white rookd1, emptye1, white kingf1, emptyg1, emptyh1, empty Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King e1
• Rook c1
• Knight d3
• Pawn b2
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g7
• Rook d8
• Pawn b6
• Pawn c5
• Pawn d4
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f6
• Pawn g5
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 7

Decide

Think of your own pawns too.

What do you do against the threat of e4?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King e1
• Rook c1
• Knight d3
• Pawn b2
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g7
• Rook d8
• Pawn b6
• Pawn c5
• Pawn d4
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f6
• Pawn g5
• Pawn h7

Which plan fits?

Control the square e4 with f3 Move the knight somewhere else right now Wait, for example with h3

Step 3 of 7

Try it

Protect your blockade against the threat of e4.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Nb4 – knight from d3 to b4Nxc5 – knight from d3 captures on c5Nxe5 – knight from d3 captures on e5Nf4 – knight from d3 to f4b3 – pawn from b2 to b3b4 – pawn from b2 to b4f3 – pawn from f2 to f3f4 – pawn from f2 to f4g3 – pawn from g2 to g3g4 – pawn from g2 to g4h3 – pawn from h2 to h3h4 – pawn from h2 to h4Rc2 – rook from c1 to c2Rc3 – rook from c1 to c3Rc4 – rook from c1 to c4Rxc5 – rook from c1 captures on c5Rd1 – rook from c1 to d1Rb1 – rook from c1 to b1Ra1 – rook from c1 to a1Kd2 – king from e1 to d2Ke2 – king from e1 to e2Kf1 – king from e1 to f1Kd1 – king from e1 to d1 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King e1
• Rook c1
• Knight d3
• Pawn b2
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g7
• Rook d8
• Pawn b6
• Pawn c5
• Pawn d4
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f6
• Pawn g5
• Pawn h7

Step 4 of 7

Play it through

Now Black replies to your moves. Build up the blockade step by step.

Stop the black passed pawn and make the blockade safe. Black replies after every move.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Na6 – knight from b4 to a6Nc6 – knight from b4 to c6Nd5 – knight from b4 to d5Nd3 – knight from b4 to d3Nc2 – knight from b4 to c2a3 – pawn from a2 to a3a4 – pawn from a2 to a4b3 – pawn from b2 to b3f3 – pawn from f2 to f3f4 – pawn from f2 to f4g3 – pawn from g2 to g3g4 – pawn from g2 to g4h3 – pawn from h2 to h3h4 – pawn from h2 to h4Ke2 – king from f1 to e2Kg1 – king from f1 to g1Ke1 – king from f1 to e1 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King f1
• Knight b4
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King f8
• Bishop c5
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn d4
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 5 of 7

Why does it work?

If a pawn attacks your blockader, it usually has to give way: a pawn is worth less than any piece. If it has no safe square, it is even lost. There are exceptions, for example when it can capture the pawn.

If you control the square this pawn wants to move to, the blockade stays in place.

Step 6 of 7

New position, same idea

This time a rook can help.

You are playing Black. Your knight on e6 blockades the pawn on e5. Protect the blockade.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Re8 – rook from d8 to e8Rf8 – rook from d8 to f8Rd7 – rook from d8 to d7Rd6 – rook from d8 to d6Rd5 – rook from d8 to d5Rd4 – rook from d8 to d4Rd3 – rook from d8 to d3Rd2 – rook from d8 to d2Rd1+ – rook from d8 to d1Rc8 – rook from d8 to c8Rb8 – rook from d8 to b8Ra8 – rook from d8 to a8Kh8 – king from g8 to h8Kf7 – king from g8 to f7Kf8 – king from g8 to f8g6 – pawn from g7 to g6g5 – pawn from g7 to g5h6 – pawn from h7 to h6h5 – pawn from h7 to h5Nc7 – knight from e6 to c7Nf8 – knight from e6 to f8Ng5 – knight from e6 to g5Nxf4 – knight from e6 captures on f4Nd4 – knight from e6 to d4Nc5 – knight from e6 to c5 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Rook a1
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f4
• Pawn g3
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Rook d8
• Knight e6
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 7 of 7

Nimzowitsch and today

Aaron Nimzowitsch: looking at the board differently