{"id":418,"date":"2022-06-06T16:25:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T14:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chessily.com\/?p=418"},"modified":"2022-06-11T20:59:27","modified_gmt":"2022-06-11T18:59:27","slug":"how-does-the-pawn-move-in-chess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chessily.com\/questions\/how-does-the-pawn-move-in-chess\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does The Pawn Move In Chess?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>How Does The Pawn Move In Chess?<\/span><\/h1>\n

The pawn <\/a>is the most numerous, but also the weakest piece in chess. Each player is equipped with eight of them, forming the front line of the battle on the board. Reason enough to learn more about the pawns movement and attacking possibilities! So; how does the pawn move (and attack) in chess?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>Pawns Move One Square Forwards<\/span><\/h1>\n

The basic movement of the pawn is very easy to understand:<\/p>\n

Pawns may move one step forwards in a vertical direction in a given turn. <\/strong>Here is an example of the pawn’s movement:<\/p>\n

\"how
The Regular Pawn Movement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Quite easy, isn’t it? The pawn always moves forward one square, never backwards<\/a>. However, there are quite a few extra rules and exceptions that complicate the movement of the pawn. Let’s have a look at all of them.<\/p>\n

<\/span>A Pawns First Move<\/span><\/h2>\n

While a pawn can advance one square vertically under normal circumstances, there is one exception to this rule:<\/p>\n

The first move of any given pawn can either be one or two squares forwards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meaning, you can decide whether you want to advance your pawn just one square, or two, to speed up your development:<\/p>\n

\"how
The First Move of Each Pawn Can Be Two Squares Forwards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All following moves by that pawn have to follow the rule from above; allowing just one square forwards in a given turn.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Pawn Promotion<\/span><\/h2>\n

While not exactly a move itself, the pawn promotion is another special feature of the pawn. Whenever a pawn reaches the other side of the board, it is immediately exchanged for either a queen<\/a>, rook<\/a>, bishop<\/a>, or\u00a0knight<\/a> of the same color (you cannot promote your pawn into a second king<\/a>). Here is an example of a pawn being promoted to a queen, delivering checkmate in the process:<\/p>\n

\"can
Checkmate Through a Pawn Promotion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to learn more about pawn promotion, check out our full guide on pawn promotion<\/a> on our website.<\/p>\n

<\/span>How Does The Pawn Attack in Chess?<\/span><\/h1>\n

The pawn is the only chess piece that does not attack the same way it moves:<\/p>\n

The pawn attacks one square forward diagonally.\u00a0<\/strong>Meaning, if you have two pawns standing in front of each other, they cannot capture one another and are essentially blocked from further movement.<\/p>\n

In turn, the pawn always attacks the two squares that are diagonnaly in front of him, in both directions. As a result, the pawn is very good at forking other pieces, similar to the knight, but to a lesser degree.<\/p>\n

<\/span>En Passant: The Pawn’s Special Attack<\/span><\/h2>\n

The pawn has one last trick up his sleeve: capturing another pawn en passant<\/a>. Essentially, this move allows to a pawn to capture another pawn that just moves alongside by advancing two squares (on its first move). This all sounds horribly complicated, so let’s look at an real-life example:<\/p>\n

\"checkmating
Checkmating by Capturing En Passant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are three conditions that need to be met, to be able to capture en passant:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Both pawns must occupy the same rank (i. e. stand in line horizontally).<\/li>\n
  2. Both pawns must occupy adjacent files (i. e. stand directly beside each other).<\/li>\n
  3. The enemy pawn moved\u00a0two squares<\/strong>\u00a0on the previous move.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    See if you can spot all those in the animation above!<\/p>\n

    Once all these three requirements are met, you are allowed to capture the enemy pawn en passant. However, this special move is only allowed on the turn immediately after the enemy pawn\u2019s two-square advance. Meaning, you lose your right to capture en passant if you do not immediately exercise it!<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Limits To The Pawn’s Movement<\/span><\/h1>\n

    As with all other chess pieces, the pawn does face some restrictions in what it can do when moving across the chess board. Let’s look at all of them together! This section is split up into restrictions for all chess pieces, as well as ones specifically for the pawn.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Moves Chess Pieces Can’t Do In General:<\/span><\/h2>\n