Chess Rules - The Pawn

The Pawn is your sturdy foot soldier. He is a solid defender and supporter for all of your troops. Pawns often form vanguards from which forward attacks can be launched.

The Pawns start in a line in front of the other pieces.

Where the Pawns Start

Each side starts with 8 Pawns.

The Pawns are placed in a line along the second row, right in front of the other pieces.

The Pawn moves one square forward. It can move two squares from its starting position. The green x's show legal moves for the Pawns.

How the Pawn Moves

The Pawn moves differently depending on what it is doing. When located on it's original square, the Pawn may move one or two squares forward. When located on a non-original square, the Pawn may move just one square forward. The Pawn may never move backwards or sideways.

The Pawn can never jump over pieces.

The Pawn can only capture one diagonal square ahead of it.

These pawns can't capture each other - They are Blocked. The pawn only captures diagonally.

How the Pawn Captures

The Pawn captures opposing pieces in a unique way. The Pawn may only capture pieces on one of the two squares diagonally in front.

Special Moves

The Pawn can take part in two special moves: En Passant and Promotion. We'll explain both of these later.