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Why exactly Isolated pawn is that bad?

aVague

it gives -4, does this pawn makes me hard to defence or what?how would you uotplay this for black ?

https://lichess.org/game/ADdItgbf/white#37

it gives -4, does this pawn makes me hard to defence or what?how would you uotplay this for black ? https://lichess.org/game/ADdItgbf/white#37
tpr

The problem is not the pawn, it is not even isolated as it is not on an open file.
However, black is a pawn up and has more active pieces.

The problem is not the pawn, it is not even isolated as it is not on an open file. However, black is a pawn up and has more active pieces.
aVague

@tpr said ^

The problem is not the pawn, it is not even isolated as it is not on an open file.
However, black is a pawn up and has more active pieces.

well yes and no, watching SF lines, he go for promoting and that pawn in the end, because it's isolated and has no defence, allows him to press, but yes, piece activity and - pawn matters a lot too
2026-10-27_12-11-12.png
2026-10-27_12-12-30.png

@tpr said [^](/forum/redirect/post/WjEiX5Ml) > The problem is not the pawn, it is not even isolated as it is not on an open file. > However, black is a pawn up and has more active pieces. well yes and no, watching SF lines, he go for promoting and that pawn in the end, because it's isolated and has no defence, allows him to press, but yes, piece activity and - pawn matters a lot too ![2026-10-27_12-11-12.png](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=png&h=0&op=resize&path=iVXAlWZz7RcG.png&w=864&sig=245cb63a8d9329eac789e7488bdb70d6d472a802) ![2026-10-27_12-12-30.png](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=png&h=0&op=resize&path=lRyh-Plx74w5.png&w=864&sig=40ce697375b7ff390d58a6c97986ea0441b6edad)
kindaspongeyedited

"... An isolated pawn cannot be defended by another pawn ... The creation of an isolated pawn may bestow upon its owner the use of a half-open file. ..." - The Amateur's Mind (1999) by IM Jeremy Silman

"... An isolated pawn cannot be defended by another pawn ... The creation of an isolated pawn may bestow upon its owner the use of a half-open file. ..." - The Amateur's Mind (1999) by IM Jeremy Silman
aVague

@kindaspongey said ^

"... An isolated pawn cannot be defended by another pawn ... The creation of an isolated pawn may bestow upon its owner the use of a half-open file. ..." - The Amateur's Mind (1999) by IM Jeremy Silman

using half open file goes same for opponent

@kindaspongey said [^](/forum/redirect/post/XjGkG43Y) > "... An isolated pawn cannot be defended by another pawn ... The creation of an isolated pawn may bestow upon its owner the use of a half-open file. ..." - The Amateur's Mind (1999) by IM Jeremy Silman using half open file goes same for opponent
kindaspongeyedited

"... A PLAYER is said to have a half-open file when his pawn has disappeared from it but the opponent's pawn has not. ..." - Point Count Chess (1960) by I. A. Horowitz
[Site "https://lichess.org/game/ADdItgbf"]

"... A PLAYER is said to have a half-open file when his pawn has disappeared from it but the opponent's pawn has not. ..." - Point Count Chess (1960) by I. A. Horowitz [Site "https://lichess.org/game/ADdItgbf"]
aVague

@kindaspongey said ^

"... A PLAYER is said to have a half-open file when his pawn has disappeared from it but the opponent's pawn has not. ..." - Point Count Chess (1960) by I. A Horowitz

yes, but only pieces that can go only straight and being blocked by pawns are rooks, and others can use holes created by this half open file,rooks may need 2 moves to get out from line, if players pawns open them a way. This all cases are very undefined for both players, but I think mainly half opened files created more holes for the one which pawn is missing, because I saw often how engines pressed with double or tripple pawns vs 1 isolated, using that press along with piece activity around it

@kindaspongey said [^](/forum/redirect/post/Sl33sGpu) > "... A PLAYER is said to have a half-open file when his pawn has disappeared from it but the opponent's pawn has not. ..." - Point Count Chess (1960) by I. A Horowitz yes, but only pieces that can go only straight and being blocked by pawns are rooks, and others can use holes created by this half open file,rooks may need 2 moves to get out from line, if players pawns open them a way. This all cases are very undefined for both players, but I think mainly half opened files created more holes for the one which pawn is missing, because I saw often how engines pressed with double or tripple pawns vs 1 isolated, using that press along with piece activity around it
kindaspongeyedited

In Point Count Chess, the Half-Open File chapter is about 15 pages. I fear that Horowitz will not be available to debate the subject with you.

In Point Count Chess, the Half-Open File chapter is about 15 pages. I fear that Horowitz will not be available to debate the subject with you.
aVagueedited

@kindaspongey said ^

In Point Count Chess, the Half-Open File chapter is about 15 pages. I fear that Horowitz will not be available to debate the subject with you.

So sad, but I think there would be 30+ pages how to counter these half open lines,to argue for your own strategic for us humans is meaningless, only engines sees true thing, but he can't tell us yet
If SF wrote his book would be Nice
Ps In SF there are Neuronets included along with naked calculation, so theoretcly he can make it

@kindaspongey said [^](/forum/redirect/post/bbupIcYe) > In Point Count Chess, the Half-Open File chapter is about 15 pages. I fear that Horowitz will not be available to debate the subject with you. So sad, but I think there would be 30+ pages how to counter these half open lines,to argue for your own strategic for us humans is meaningless, only engines sees true thing, but he can't tell us yet If SF wrote his book would be Nice Ps In SF there are Neuronets included along with naked calculation, so theoretcly he can make it