Healthy majority

A pawn majority exists when one side has more pawns than the opponent in one area of the board, such as three against two on a wing. It is healthy when those pawns retain a formation that can work together. They are not damaged in a way that requires the pieces to solve the structural problem for them.

The practical test is whether the majority can produce a passed pawn through pawn moves and exchanges alone. A passed pawn has no opposing pawn ahead on its own file or on either neighboring file that can stop it by advancing or capturing. The majority normally creates contact, forces exchanges, and leaves one survivor with a path toward promotion.

Healthy does not mean immediately free to move or winning by itself. Enemy pieces may blockade it, a king may arrive in time, and a premature push may lose pawns. A mobile pawn majority emphasizes effective movement in the current position; health mainly describes structural capacity. A crippled majority has the numerical edge but cannot create the passer without help from pieces.