How the pawn moves in chess
How to play chess
How do pawns move in chess?
The pawn is the smallest piece and the only one that moves differently when it captures. It moves forward one square, but captures diagonally forward. It is the only piece that can never move backwards.
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The green dots show where the piece can go; a green frame is a capture.
The rules
- A pawn moves straight forward one square. It cannot capture straight ahead; if something blocks it, it is stuck.
- On its first move only, a pawn may move two squares forward.
- A pawn captures one square diagonally forward, to the left or right (the dots with a ring in the diagram).
- When a pawn reaches the far end of the board, it is promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight (nearly always a queen).
Common mistakes
- Trying to capture a piece straight in front of the pawn.
- Forgetting that pawns can never go backwards, so move them carefully.
Remember
Moves straight, captures diagonally, and turns into a queen at the end.