A basic element of pawn structure in chess. A backwards pawn is a pawn that is behind the pawn(s) on adjacent files, such that it cannot be protected by another pawn. Usually this involves a pawn ram that makes it unsafe for the pawn to advance. A backward pawn can be a major positional weakness, but often a pawn does not have to remain backwards forever. One way to deal with a backwards pawn is to attack the opponent's pawn chain, with the goal of removing the ram and allowing the backwards pawn to advance and become part of a duo.