How the pawn moves
Pawns only move forward: White's toward the 8th rank, Black's toward the 1st. A normal move is one square straight ahead into an empty square. From its starting square, each pawn may instead move two squares, as long as both squares in front of it are empty.
Any piece directly in front of a pawn, friend or enemy, blocks it completely. A blocked pawn cannot move at all unless it has a capture available.
How the pawn captures
The pawn is the only piece that captures differently from the way it moves. It takes an enemy piece one square diagonally forward, to the left or to the right. It can never capture straight ahead or backward.
There is one special capture, en passant. If an enemy pawn moves two squares and lands right beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square, but only on your very next move.
Promotion
When a pawn reaches the last rank it must be replaced, in the same move, by a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its own colour. It cannot stay a pawn or become a king. You can have several queens at once.
Almost every promotion is to a queen, but promoting to a knight sometimes gives a check or fork a queen would miss, and promoting to a rook or bishop can avoid stalemating the opponent.
How to use your pawns well
Pawns are worth the least, but they shape the whole game. Central pawns on e4 and d4 claim space and give your pieces good squares. Because pawns cannot move backward, every pawn move permanently changes the position, so think before pushing them.
Pawns that stand side by side or support each other diagonally are strong. Isolated pawns, with no friendly pawn on a neighbouring file, and doubled pawns on the same file are usually weaknesses. A passed pawn, with no enemy pawn able to stop it, becomes more valuable the further it advances.
Common mistakes
- Pushing the pawns in front of your castled king without a reason, which leaves holes the enemy pieces can use.
- Forgetting that pawns capture diagonally, and leaving a piece where a pawn can take it.
- Missing en passant, or forgetting that it is only allowed immediately.
Questions about the pawn
Can a pawn move backwards?
No. Pawns only ever move forward, toward the opponent's side. That is why every pawn move should be considered carefully.
Can a pawn move two squares?
Only on its first move, from its starting square, and only if both squares in front of it are empty. After that it moves one square at a time.
Can a pawn capture straight ahead?
No. A pawn captures only one square diagonally forward. A piece directly in front of it simply blocks it.
What happens when a pawn reaches the end of the board?
It is promoted: you replace it with a queen, rook, bishop or knight of your colour. Most players choose a queen.
Practise every piece on a live board in the rules of chess, and read more about en passant and promotion.