Now, let’s talk about the special move of the pawn and the one that actually matters the most: Promotion! Pawn Promotion I had a few players that shouted “illegal” when I did it, only for the arbiter to come to the board to tell them that it was perfectly legal and they just had forgotten or did not know about the rules. … f5, white’s e5 pawn can take it and move to f6 (not f5), as if black had moved their f pawn to f6 and not f5.įunnily enough, most amateurs and beginners completely forget that pawns actually have this ability and are almost always shocked when someone takes their pawns en passant. If, in this position, black decides to play 2. This sounds very confusing, I know! So, let’s see how this is done in action.Īssuming the first few moves in the game played out like this: You can only capture en passant on the very next turn to their pawn’s move.Instead, your pawn acts as if this pawn was one square back and takes it as if it were a normal pawn-capturing scenario.However, your pawn does not move to the side to take their pawn. ![]() This will bring the two pawns side-by-side, and in this case, your pawn can take this pawn.The opponent’s pawn must move two squares forwards for their first move.The opponent’s pawn must be right on either side of this pawn.A pawn must be on the 5th row (of your side).The second move is the en passant capture, so let’s explain this further: En Passant.Įn passant is a french term that means “in passing.” En passant is a special move that pawns can make, but in only one situation: Pawns have three special moves the first is one we’ve already discussed, which is that they can move two squares for their first move. It’s also important to note that t his is true regardless of whether the pawn moves one or to squares in their first move. It’s important to note that now since the e4 pawn has already made its first move, it can now never move two squares in one move again. The e4 pawn also controls the f5 square, so if black had a piece there, white could also capture it. e4 d5, the white pawn can now capture the black pawn with 2. The diagram below shows how can pawns capture:Īssuming the first moves of the game went: 1. In response, black can also move any of its pawns one or two squares forwards. The orange arrows show how white can start with e3 or e4, and e4 is actually the most popular starting move in chess. In the diagram below, you can see how, from the starting position, any pawn can move one or two squares forwards. Okay, now let’s see diagrams that explain this better. They can capture pieces diagonally in each direction if those pieces.Pawns can not jump over other pieces – so if the square.They can move forwards only, never backward.If a pawn has moved before, it can not move two squares forwards.They can move two squares forward if it’s their first move.They can move one square forward at any point.The movement of pawns on the chessboard is pretty simple: In other words, a pawn can be a lot more valuable than its numerical value. Most experienced players know that the value of a pawn is determined by many factors, such as their position, whether they have opposing pawns on the same file, and how supported they are.Ī strong pawn in the center is often your stronghold that your pieces will center around for more control over the board, and a passed pawn is often a decisive winning advantage in endgames. This means that pawns are the least valuable pieces in your army, but this is very relative to the position you are playing. The value of a pawnĪ pawn is valued at only one point (some argue that knights are worth 3.5 pawns), a rook is worth 5, and a Queen is worth 9 pawns (while you only have 8!). The tiny pawn may seem like it has little impact on the game, but the truth is that pawns often determine how it is played. They are the least valuable on the board, considered the weakest by many, and are often the first pieces to move, and there are 16 of them, outnumbering any other piece. Keep reading as I explain how pawns move in chess and the special moves they have. I think the only really simple piece in chess is the bishop, which does not have any kind of special moves, contrary to pawns, which have three special moves. ![]() So, as you can see, the movement of pawns in chess is not that simple. Pawns capture pieces diagonally and have special moves called “en passant.” So, how do pawns move in chess? Pawns move forwards only on the same file, they can move one square forwards, but they can also move two squares forwards if it’s their first move. Whenever you are learning how to play chess, the first piece you are taught how to move is the pawn, and that’s for a good reason they have the simplest moves.
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