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Chess from Zero · Kapilash Chess Academy

The Pawn

Small, brave and full of surprises

In this lesson you will learn

  • How pawns move and capture
  • The two-square first move
  • Promotion: a pawn becomes a queen

Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.

7.1 How the pawn moves

A pawn moves straight forward one square. It can never move backwards. On its very first move, it may move one or two squares forward.

Moving forwardThe pawn on e2 has not moved yet, so it can go to e3 or e4. The pawn on c4 has already moved: it can only go to c5.

7.2 How the pawn captures

A pawn does not capture the way it moves. It captures one square diagonally forward. A pawn that has a piece directly in front of it is blocked and cannot move forward.

Blocked, but it can captureThe pawn on e5 blocks the white pawn. But the white pawn can capture the knight on d5 or the bishop on f5, diagonally.
Diagram 7.1White to move

Diagram 7.1 · A diagonal capture

The white pawn is blocked by the pawn on d5.

Capture the black knight with the pawn.

7.3 Promotion

When a pawn reaches the last rank (the 8th rank for White, the 1st for Black), it is promoted: it turns into a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. Almost always players choose a queen. On this site the pawn becomes a queen automatically.

Diagram 7.2White to move

Diagram 7.2 · A new queen

The white pawn on b7 is one step from the end of the board.

Promote the pawn.

Remember

  1. A pawn moves forward one square, or two on its first move.
  2. It captures one square diagonally forward.
  3. It can be blocked.
  4. On the last rank it becomes a queen (or another piece).

Exercises · Lesson 7

Move the white pawns. Pawns only move forward, and they capture diagonally.

Solve these 10 exercises on the boardCreate a free account to check your moves, open hints and solutions, and save your progress.
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Pawn moves

Exercise 7.1Find the move
White to move

Move a pawn two squares forward.

Exercise 7.2Find the move
White to move

Only one white pawn can move. Move it.

Pawn captures

Exercise 7.3Find the move
White to move

Capture with the pawn.

Exercise 7.4Find the move
White to move

Capture with the pawn.

Exercise 7.5Find the move
White to move

Capture with the pawn.

Exercise 7.6Find the move
White to move

Capture with the pawn.

Promotion

Exercise 7.7Find the move
White to move

Promote the pawn.

Exercise 7.8Find the move
White to move

The pawn is blocked. Promote it by capturing.

Exercise 7.9Find the move
Black to move

Black to move. Promote the black pawn.

Exercise 7.10Question
White to move

Can the white pawn on e4 capture the black pawn on e5?

Can it capture?