Learn Chess: The Pawn

The Board	The Pieces	The King	The Queen	The Rook	The Bishop
The Knight	The Pawn	Check	Checkmate	Draws	Notation

The Pawn

Typical Staunton wood Pawn piece used in a game of Chess (Fig. 1). Each player starts the game with eight pieces.

Staunton wood white Chess Pawn piece

Staunton wood white Chess Pawn piece

Fig. 1

The following graphic shows white and black Chess Pawn figures (Fig. 2). These pieces are widely used in diagrams to illustrate games, positions, and Chess problems.

Chess Pawn figures

Chess Pawn figures

Fig. 2

This diagram (Fig. 3) shows the position all Pawns have at the beginning of the game.

Pawns initial position

Fig. 3

Pawns move forward only and they cannot retreat or move backward. At the beginning of a game, each Pawn has the option to advance one or two squares from their initial starting position (Fig. 4 & 5). Afterwards, they can only move one square at a time. This rule applies to all the Pawns.

Any white Pawn can move 1 or 2 squares from their initial position

Any white Pawn can move 1 or 2 squares

Fig. 4

Any black Pawn can move 1 or 2 squares from their initial position

Any black Pawn can move 1 or 2 squares

Fig. 5

Pawns can only capture in a diagonal way as shown in Fig. 6 & 7. When a Pawn (white or black) places itself in front of any friendly or enemy piece, it cannot move forward or capture such piece. The Pawn cannot move to the red “X” as shown in the graphics below since it is an illegal move.

White Pawn moves and can capture the black Pawn

White Pawn moves and can capture

Fig. 6

Black Pawn moves and can capture the white Pawn

Black Pawn moves and can capture

Fig. 7

When any Pawn white or black reaches an 8th rank square (white piece) or 1st rank square (black piece), it can be promoted to any desired piece of their same color other than King or Pawn (Fig. 8). This is done by removing the Pawn from the board and placing the wanted piece on the reached square. The Queen is chosen as a natural and logic move for it’s the most powerful Chess piece.

White and black players can promote to any higher piece

Fig. 8

The Pawn can perform a special capture called “in passing” (en passant, from French). This move should be made immediately after an opponent moves a Pawn two squares forward from its starting position and an opposing Pawn can captured it as if it had only moved one square forward (Fig. 9 & 10). It must be done on the very next turn or not at all by making another move and losing the right to do so. All Pawns on their initial position and two square move option are subject to this capture. Such a move is the only occasion in Chess in which a piece captures but does not move to the square of the captured piece.

Black Pawn just moved two squares to e5 enabling the white Pawn to capture it by placing itself at e6 and removing the black Pawn from the board

White captures in passing

Fig. 9

White Pawn just moved two squares to e4 enabling the black Pawn to capture it by placing itself at e3 and removing the white Pawn from the board

Black captures in passing

Fig. 10

The following Applet lets you try an interactive feeling to practice the Pawn’s moves and capture. Just place the cursor over the white Pawn piece, press the left button of your mouse, and drag the Pawn to the cell you wish and release it. The computer (black pieces) will move next. This position should end in a win for the white pieces.

White to move

More about the Pawn

Originally, the Pawn was only allowed to move one square forward at a time.

To avoid languid Openings, they were permitted the option of moving one or two squares forward on the first move with the objective being to animate the game.

Although Pawns are the weakest pieces on the board, all of them are potential Queens or any other high piece by a piece transformation called ‘promotion’ which is earned when they reach the eight rank.

In either algebraic or descriptive Chess notation, ‘en passant’ captures are denoted by “e.p.”

The relative numeric value of the Pawn is 1 point.

The Board	The Pieces	The King	The Queen	The Rook	The Bishop
The Knight	The Pawn	Check	Checkmate	Draws	Notation

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