GambitDeclined.com - The Chess Resource

The Pawn

Each player has eight pawns at the start of the game, laid out in a row in front of the pieces.

Pawns are slow to move, they can only advance (never retreat) and they are relatively plentiful - they are the 'cannon fodder' of the chess board.

Despite this, there are a few interesting points to note about the humble pawn: method of capture, a unique first move rule, the 'En Passant' move and the opportunity for promotion.

The Pawn's Moves

The Starting Positions

White Knights: a2 to h2

Black Knights: a7and h7

Moving

The diagram to the left illustrates the moves of the pawn.

On the initial move of any pawn, the player has the option to move either one square forward or two. So the pawn on b2 in the diagram, on its initial move, can move to either b3 or b4. Once a pawn has moved, that pawn no longer has the option to make a two-square move.

After the initial move for a pawn, it can only advance one square at a time.

Remember, pawns can only advance.

Captures

Pawns can only capture diagonally, on the adjacent file (either left or right). Additionally, captures can only take place in the forward aspect, in compliance with the the rules of pawn movement that the pawn can only advance, it cannot retreat.

The diagram above show that the the pawn on f2 can capture the Black pawn on g3 (shown by the red ring).

En Passant

Often unknown to the beginner, the En Passant move is unique to the pawns, although it's not often seen 'in the wild'.

The animated diagram on the left illustrates the move.

The White pawn on e2 has yet to move during this game while the Black pawn has advanced to d4.

White now makes his initial two square move for the e-pawn, taking it to e4.

The Black d-pawn can legally capture the White e-pawn, en passant (in passing), by moving to e3.

Note that the Black pawn ends on e3 and not e4 where the White was captured.

En Passant Restrictions

Only pawns can capture by 'en passant' and they can only capture other pawns.
A pawn can only capture a pawn by 'en passant' if the pawn to be captured has just moved its initial two square move.
A pawn can only be captured by 'en passant' if the capture occurs immediately after the pawn has made its two square move - e.g. in the diagram above, if White moved to e4 and Black moved his King, Kc3, Black would have lost the option to take White's e-pawn by en passant. White's e-pawn would then be free to continue its journey towards promotion.

Promotion

If a pawn crosses the board and reaches the furthest rank, promotion of that pawn takes place.

Promotion involves replacing the pawn with a piece of the player's choice - although it cannot promote into another King. Typically the promotion creates a second, or replacement (if the already captured) Queen. Alternatively, the player may decide to promote to a Rook, a Bishop or a Knight.