Guest lecture by UMBC Chess Coach Igor Epshteyn
Hanging pawns (also called linked pawns) are two pawns on adjacent files, flanked by a file on each side with no pawns of the same color. Through exchanges, isolated pawns can be transformed into hanging pawns, and vice-versa. Therefore, to understand how to play with isolated pawns it is necessary to understand how to play with hanging pawns, and vice-versa.
When hanging pawns stand side-by-side, they can be very powerful: they control many squares, and a central breakthrough is relatively easier to achieve than with an isolated pawns because one pawn can support the other's advance. It is important, however, not to advance such pawns prematurely when they might be blockaded by an enemy knight or bishop. A timely advance of a hanging pawn in the center can be very powerful, especially when properly prepared with rooks operating on the adjacent files and with bishops ready to attack along lines cleared by the advancing pawns.
To play against hanging pawns, one strategy is to encourage them to be advanced when they can be blockaded. Another strategy is to attack them with pawns from adjacent files, possibly even sacrificing a pawn to break up the pawn pair.
In the 1981 World Championship Match in Italy, Karpov and Korchnoi fought many battles over the theme of hanging pawns. The following game is an exciting and instructive example.