Moves of the Pawn

The Pawn

Pawns can only move forward one square at a time, except on their very first move, when they have the option to advance two squares forward. If another piece is directly in front of a pawn, the pawn is blocked and cannot move forward.

Unlike other chess pieces, pawns capture differently from how they move: they capture diagonally. A pawn can only capture an opposing piece by moving one square diagonally forward.

If another piece is directly in front of a pawn, the pawn cannot capture it or move past it.

En Passant - In Passing

This special pawn rule is called "en passant" (French for "in passing"). If a pawn advances two squares on its initial move and lands directly adjacent to an opponent's pawn, the opponent has the option to capture the advancing pawn as if it had only moved forward one square.

This special move must be made immediately on the next turn; otherwise, the opportunity to capture en passant is lost.

Promotion

Only pawns can be promoted. When a pawn reaches the farthest rank on the opposite side of the board, it is immediately promoted to another piece. A pawn can be promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight.