Passed Pawns Must Be Pushed

A PASSED PAWN has no enemy pawn in front of it — on its own file or either neighbor. Nothing but pieces can stop it now.

The endgame proverb: passed pawns must be pushed. But their deepest power is indirect — a passer on one wing forces the enemy king to babysit it, while YOUR king eats everything on the other side. The pawn is the decoy; the king is the burglar.