Chess pieces
How the pawn moves
A pawn moves forward one square.
The pawn's move, in plain words
A pawn moves forward one square. From its starting square it may move two. It captures one square diagonally forward, never straight ahead. A pawn that reaches the far side of the board is promoted, usually to a queen.
1 point
What to remember
- Pawns cannot move backward, so think before you push them.
- Pawns that reach the last rank become a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
- Pawns that are connected side by side protect each other.
Common mistakes
- Pushing the pawns around your king, which weakens it.
- Forgetting that a pawn captures diagonally.
- Missing en passant, the special pawn capture.
In Cats vs Dogs Chess
The pawn is a Tabby Kitten or a Corgi Pup
It hops forward. Play the 3D game against the computer or a friend, free in your browser.
Play chessPractice with puzzles
The other pieces
Questions
How does a pawn move?
Forward one square, or two squares from its starting position. It captures one square diagonally forward.
What happens when a pawn reaches the end?
It is promoted. You choose a queen, rook, bishop or knight, and almost everyone chooses a queen.
What is en passant?
A special capture: when an enemy pawn moves two squares and lands beside your pawn on its fifth rank, you can capture it as if it had moved only one square, but only on the very next move.