Isolated pawn

An isolated pawn has no friendly pawn on either neighboring file, so it cannot be protected by another pawn.

White’s d4 pawn is isolated♜♛♜♚♟♟♟♟♟♞♟♞♟♙♘♗♘♙♙♙♙♙♖♕♖♔abcdefgh12345678

The isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) on d4 is the textbook case. It grants space and open files for the pieces, and it is also a fixed target that Black can blockade on d5.

White has no c-pawn and no e-pawn. The d4 pawn must be guarded by pieces. Black’s c5 pawn attacks it, which is the usual way to pressure an IQP.

Whether the pawn is a strength or a weakness depends on the pieces. If White’s knights and rooks are active, the extra space matters. If they get traded, the ending is often just a weak pawn.

Play this position