Pawn
The pawn may be the weakest chess piece, but every strong player knows that it's one of the most important pieces, too! Philidor, a famous player of the past, even said that "pawns are the soul of chess."
Here's everything you need to know about this tiny chess piece that can make all the difference in the world:
- What Is A Pawn In Chess?
- How The Pawn Moves
- How The Pawn Captures
- Pawn Promotion
- Wrapping Up
- The Pawn Video
What Is A Pawn In Chess?
The pawns are those small pieces that start the game in front of both players' armies. Players begin with eight pawns side-by-side on the second rank for White and the seventh rank for Black.
Pawns are the least valuable piece in chess, being worth only one point each. They're also the weakest piece when they're by themselves, but they can be very dangerous when working together. Just so you have an idea, in certain special situations, even two pawns can scare away the opponent's knights! In those situations, we say that the pawns have turned into a snow plow.
How The Pawn Moves
When they’re moving, pawns can only push forward and can never move backward. They usually just go one square at a time, but they can jump two squares only on their first move. That means that if the pawn has moved at all, it can never jump two squares at once again.
Just like most of the other pieces, the pawn can't jump over others. When there's any other piece in front of it, the pawn can't move until that piece is removed (unless it is capturing another piece).
How The Pawn Captures
The pawn is the only piece that doesn't capture the same way that it moves. It moves up, but it captures pieces that are one square diagonally in front of them to either side.
Pawns are also the only pieces that can capture with the secret en passant rule. If you want to learn that rule, check out this article that explains it.
Pawn Promotion
There is another reason why pawns are such essential pieces. Although they are weak, they have the potential to become the strongest pieces of all—the queen!
Whenever a pawn reaches its furthest rank (eighth for White and first for Black), it can promote. That means that it can turn into any other piece that's not a king. That pawn is not looking so harmless now, is it?
Wrapping Up
You now know what a pawn is, how it moves, and how it captures other pieces. Head to our Lessons page to learn about the other pieces and other critical chess concepts so you can become a chess expert!