Doubled pawns

abcdefgh
8
e8 black king
c7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
b6 black pawn
e6 black pawn
h6 black pawn
b5 white pawn
e5 white pawn
h5 white pawn
b4 white pawn
c4 white pawn
g4 white pawn
e3 white pawn
e1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
White's pawns on the b-file and on the e-file are doubled.

In chess, doubled pawns are two pawns of the same color residing on the same file. Pawns can become doubled only when one pawn captures onto a file on which another friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the white pawns on the b-file and e-file are doubled. The pawns on the e-file are doubled and isolated.

In most cases, doubled pawns are considered a weakness due to their inability to defend each other. This inability, in turn, makes it more difficult to achieve a breakthrough which could create a passed pawn (often a deciding factor in endgames). In the case of isolated doubled pawns, these problems are only further aggravated. Several chess strategies and openings are based on burdening the opponent with doubled pawns, a strategic weakness.

There are, however, cases where accepting doubled pawns can be advantageous because doing so may open up a file for a rook, or because the doubled pawns perform a useful function, such as defending important squares. Also, if the opponent is unable to effectively attack the pawns, their inherent weakness may be of little or no consequence. There are also a number of openings that accept doubled pawns in exchange for some prevailing advantage, such as the Two Knights Variation of Alekhine's Defence.