Define:Pawn Roller

I've read this term several times now but can't seam to really understand what is meant.  Could people please give me their definitions.. hopefully one will make sense to me.

Thanks

When two pawns are side by side, they are a phalanx.

When one pawn protects the other, the are are a chain.

Both of those are static configurations. When two pawns can move up the board together going between phalanx and chain, they are a pawn roller. This is a dynamic property.

Pawn rollers can be most effective when each move forward attacks something. That way they move forward with tempo, or with the initiative (forcing the opponent to respond to your moves). Some people may say that it is a required condition that the pawns attack something to be called a roller.

Loomis you rock....  I get it... I've been reading this term and trying to understand it for 8 hours now and everything just clicked....

Now if I could just pronounce the word phalanx.

Outside of chess, the meaning of the word phalanx has evolved over time. In Greek military it was a rectangular formation of infantry. In modern usage it can describe any group standing closely together.

Here is a glossary of chess terms that describes phalanx the way I have:

http://www.angelfire.com/games5/chessodyssey/chessterms.htm

I'm not surprised that it's not a widely used or recognized term. I think Phlidor used the term a long time ago. Hans Kmoch in his book "Pawn Power in Chess" preferred the term duo.

I'm also not surprised if people have used the term phalanx to mean things other than what I did. That's one reason I gave a definition for it off the bat.

Could someone post a game that illustrates a "pawn roller" being used?   I just learned this term and don't understand how two connected pawns can advance without support...

Take a look at Fischer vs Petrosian from round 2 of the 1959 Candidates game in Yugoslavia. Starting at move 39...a6, Petrosian is able to roll his a and b pawns down the board forcing Fischer to resign.

Loomis wrote:

Outside of chess, the meaning of the word phalanx has evolved over time. In Greek military it was a rectangular formation of infantry. In modern usage it can describe any group standing closely together.

Here is a glossary of chess terms that describes

https://menuland.ph/

I'm not surprised that it's not a widely used or recognized term. I think Phlidor used the term a long time ago. Hans Kmoch in his book "Pawn Power in Chess" preferred the term duo.

I'm also not surprised if people have used the term phalanx to mean things other than what I did. That's one reason I gave a definition for it off the bat.

It sounds like you're asking for clarity on a term that's been confusing. Could you share the term you're trying to understand? That way, others can provide straightforward explanations or definitions that might click for you!

A Pawn Roller in chess refers to a strong, advancing pawn formation, typically two or more connected pawns marching down the board together. This can be very powerful in the endgame or even in the middlegame, as the pawns support each other and can become difficult to stop.

In some openings, such as the Botvinnik System, White builds a strong pawn structure with c4, d4, and e4, later rolling forward to gain space and attack.