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  • Lesson 7 of 32
  • The pieces
  • 3 min

How Pawns Move and Capture in Chess

Each side starts with eight pawns. They are the weakest pieces, but they have more special rules than any other piece, and a pawn that reaches the far side of the board can become a queen.

Step 1 of 4

  1. Forward only

    A pawn moves straight forward one square. On its very first move it may go two squares instead. It can never move backwards or sideways, and it cannot move forward if a piece is in the way.

  2. The first move

    This pawn has not moved yet, so it can take a big first step.

    Your move

    Move the pawn forward two squares.

  3. Capture diagonally

    Here is the rule that surprises people: a pawn captures diagonally, one square forward and to the side. It cannot capture straight ahead, so the black pawn on e5 simply blocks it. The black knight on d5, though, is one square diagonally ahead.

    Your move

    Capture the knight with your pawn.

  4. The last rank

    When a pawn reaches the far end of the board, it is promoted: it turns into a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Almost everyone picks a queen. The promotion lesson in the next unit lets you try it.

What you learned

  • A pawn moves one square forward, or two on its first move.
  • It captures one square diagonally forward, never straight ahead.
  • A pawn that reaches the last rank is promoted, usually to a queen.

In this course

Unit 1The pieces

  1. The Chessboard and How to Set Up the Pieces
  2. How the Rook Moves in Chess
  3. How the Bishop Moves in Chess
  4. How the Queen Moves in Chess
  5. How the King Moves in Chess
  6. How the Knight Moves in Chess
  7. How Pawns Move and Capture in Chess
  8. Chess Piece Values: What Each Piece Is Worth

Unit 2Special moves

  1. What Is Check in Chess, and How to Get Out of It
  2. How to Castle in Chess: Kingside and Queenside
  3. En Passant in Chess, Explained on the Board
  4. Pawn Promotion in Chess: Turning a Pawn Into a Queen

Unit 3Winning the game

  1. What Is Checkmate? Learn to Mate in One
  2. Stalemate in Chess: Why It's a Draw
  3. How to Checkmate With a King and Queen

Unit 4Your first tactics

  1. The Fork: Attack Two Pieces at Once
  2. The Pin in Chess: Freeze a Piece in Place
  3. The Skewer in Chess: Attack Through a Piece

Unit 5Checkmate patterns

  1. Back-Rank Mate in Chess: Spot It and Stop It
  2. Smothered Mate in Chess: The Knight's Checkmate
  3. The Ladder Mate: Checkmate With Two Rooks
  4. How to Checkmate With a King and Rook

Unit 6More tactics

  1. Discovered Attack in Chess: Unmask a Hidden Attacker
  2. Double Check in Chess: Two Checks at Once
  3. Removing the Defender in Chess: Take the Guard

Unit 7Opening principles

  1. Control the Centre: A Chess Opening Principle
  2. How to Develop Your Pieces in the Chess Opening
  3. Scholar's Mate: How It Works and How to Stop It
  4. Fool's Mate: The Fastest Checkmate in Chess

Unit 8Endgame basics

  1. The Rule of the Square in Chess Endgames
  2. The Opposition in Chess: King Endgame Basics
  3. King and Pawn vs King: How to Win the Ending

Lessons for every game

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