The Pawn Chain and the the Qualitative Majority
By "Pawn Chain" Nimzwitsch means a diagonal line of two or more pawns
that protect each other.
The one furthest back is called the basis, the one furthest forward is the
"wedge". In the diagram below,
White has one basis on b2 and one on f4, and a wedge on e5. Black has a basis on
f7, and can create
a wedge if the Pawn c5 is moved to c4. It is not quite clear if Nimzowitsch
would also call the line
h3-g4-f4 a chain. The concept of chain is primarily related to the question of
immobility and how to
break up the chain, which according to Nimzowitsch should start from the basis.
As
we have seen under "Type positions", Nimzowitsch has a great many
ideas about pawn constellations.
One of the more original ones is the concept of Qualitative Majority:
"Der
Begriff der qualitativen Mehrheit ist für den Kenner unserer Bauernkette leicht
zu assimilieren. Der
in der Richtung nach der gegnerischen Basis hin vorrückende Flügel ist
naturgemäss als qualitativ überlegen
aufzufassen." (Mein
System, p.208)
In the above position White has the qualitative majority on the King's side, and
Black on the Queen's side.
The strategic plan of the respective party is to advance towards the opponent
and if possible to create a
passed pawn. But the opponent will try to restrain such advancement and may in
turn get the advantage.
a weakness, and we can expand the meaning of the term "majority" from
a quantitative to a qualitative aspect."
(Mihail Marin in Schacknytt 2006-6:60)
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