The Pawn
A comprehensive guide to understanding, moving, and mastering chess's most underestimated piece.
Published 2026-02-15 | Last verified 2026-02-15
Professor Archer says: When I started teaching chess to adults, I noticed something fascinating. My most improved students were the ones who spent the most time studying pawns, not openings, not tactics, but pawns. Philidor was right all those centuries ago. Once you understand what your pawns are doing and why, the rest of the game starts to make sense in a way it never did before.
Quick Summary
The pawn is the most numerous piece on the board, each player starts with eight. It is worth one point, the baseline for measuring all other pieces. Its key feature is that it is the only piece that can transform into a more powerful piece through promotion. As François-André Philidor wrote in 1749: "Pawns are the soul of chess."
Why Pawns Matter More Than You Think
Most beginners dismiss pawns as expendable foot soldiers. They are worth the least, they move the slowest, and they cannot even go backwards. So why did the legendary 18th-century master Philidor call them "the soul of chess"?
Because pawns do something no other piece can do: they define the battlefield.
Every pawn you move permanently changes the structure of the position. Unlike a bishop or knight, which can retreat, a pawn only moves forward. Each pawn advance is a commitment, opening some possibilities while closing others.
When you understand pawns, you understand why certain squares matter, why pieces belong on certain diagonals, and why some positions feel cramped while others feel open. You start to see chess not as a series of isolated moves, but as a coherent struggle over space and structure.
That is why we are starting here. Not because pawns are simple, but because they are fundamental.
How the Pawn Moves
The pawn has the most unusual movement rules of any chess piece. Understanding these rules is essential before you can use your pawns effectively.
A pawn moves one square straight forward. It cannot move sideways, backwards, or diagonally (except when capturing). This forward-only movement is unique among chess pieces. Every other piece can retreat. A pawn cannot. This is why pawn moves require more thought than they might seem, you cannot take them back.
On a pawn's very first move (and only on its first move), it has the option to advance two squares instead of one. Both squares must be empty, the pawn cannot jump over another piece. This rule exists to speed up the opening. Without it, developing your pawns to control the center would take twice as long. Once a pawn has moved, even by one square, it loses this option permanently.
Unlike the knight, the pawn cannot jump. If there is a piece, friend or foe, on the square immediately ahead, the pawn cannot move forward until that square is cleared. This creates a common tactical situation: two pawns facing each other head-on become "locked." Neither can advance.
The Pawn's Starting Position
In the starting position, each player has eight pawns lined up on their second rank. White's pawns occupy a2 through h2, and Black's pawns occupy a7 through h7. Each pawn has the option to advance one or two squares on its first move.
The starting position. All 16 pawns are on their second rank, ready to advance.
How the Pawn Captures
The pawn is the only piece in chess that captures differently from how it moves. While a pawn moves straight forward, it captures diagonally forward, one square ahead and to the left, or one square ahead and to the right.
If there is an enemy piece on either of those diagonal squares, the pawn can capture it by moving onto that square. If both diagonal squares contain enemies, you can choose which to capture. If neither diagonal square has an enemy piece, the pawn cannot capture (though it can still move forward if that square is clear).
This creates a useful defensive feature: a single pawn can "guard" two squares simultaneously. Enemy pieces cannot safely land on either of the diagonals your pawn controls without being captured.
The difference between how pawns move and capture creates some of the game's most interesting situations. A pawn can be blocked from moving forward but still be a threat because of its diagonal captures. Two pawns facing each other create a structural lock that may last for dozens of moves. And a pawn can guard high-value squares without needing to advance onto them.
Pawn Captures Diagonally
In this position, the white pawn on e4 can capture either the black knight on d5 or the black bishop on f5. It cannot move straight forward to e5 because it is blocked by the black pawn.
The pawn on e4 is blocked from advancing but can capture diagonally to d5 or f5.
En Passant: The "In Passing" Capture
- Your pawn reaches the fifth rank - Your pawn must be on your fifth rank (the row in the middle of the board, from your perspective). For White, this means rank 5. For Black, this means rank 4.
- An enemy pawn advances two squares beside yours - An enemy pawn uses its two-square first move and lands directly beside your pawn. It has "passed" the square where your pawn could have captured it.
- Capture "in passing" on the very next move - On your very next move (and only on that move), you can capture the enemy pawn as if it had moved only one square. Your pawn moves diagonally forward to the square the enemy pawn passed through, and the enemy pawn is removed.
- Use it or lose it - If you do not capture en passant immediately, you lose the right to do so. The option exists for one turn only. This rule was added when the two-square first move was introduced in the 15th century, to prevent pawns from slipping past each other unchallenged.
En Passant Position
Black has just played d7-d5, advancing two squares. White's pawn on e5 can capture en passant by moving to d6, removing the black pawn from d5.
White can play exd6 en passant, capturing the black pawn as if it had only moved to d6.
Pawn Promotion
When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, the eighth rank for White, the first rank for Black, it cannot stay as a pawn. It must immediately transform into another piece: Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight. You cannot promote to a King, and you cannot choose to keep it as a pawn.
In the vast majority of cases, you will choose the Queen. It is the most powerful piece on the board. Promoting to a Queen is so common that it is simply called "queening."
However, there are rare situations where a different piece is better. A Knight promotion can give check or fork pieces in a way a Queen cannot. A Rook or Bishop promotion very occasionally avoids an immediate stalemate that a Queen would cause.
You are not limited to captured pieces. It is theoretically possible to have nine Queens on the board, your original plus all eight pawns promoted.
Pawn About to Promote
White's pawn on e7 is one square away from promotion. On the next move, it will advance to e8 and transform into a Queen (or another piece of White's choosing).
The white pawn on e7 will promote on the next move. In most cases, choosing a Queen is correct.
Pawn Structure: The Skeleton of Your Position
Grandmaster Michael Stean wrote: "The primary constraint on a piece's activity is the pawn structure." Because pawns cannot move backward, pawn structure is the most permanent feature of any position.
Strong pawn features include pawn chains (pawns protecting each other diagonally, with the base being the key target), passed pawns (a pawn with no enemy pawns blocking or guarding its path to promotion, as Nimzowitsch said, "a criminal who should be kept under lock and key"), and connected pawns (pawns on adjacent files that support each other's advance).
Weak pawn features include doubled pawns (two pawns on the same file, unable to protect each other), isolated pawns (a pawn with no friendly pawns on adjacent files, requiring a piece to defend it), and backward pawns (a pawn that cannot safely advance and whose square in front often becomes an enemy outpost).
Opening Principles for Pawns
How you handle your pawns in the opening sets the tone for the entire game.
The four squares in the center of the board (e4, e5, d4, d5) are the most valuable real estate in chess. Pieces placed in the center control more squares than pieces on the edge. Most openings begin with 1.e4 or 1.d4 for exactly this reason.
A common beginner mistake is pushing multiple pawns in the opening while leaving pieces undeveloped. Each pawn move is a move not spent bringing out your Knights, Bishops, and Rooks. As a guideline: in the opening, move only the pawns necessary to control the center and allow your pieces to develop. Usually this means two or three pawn moves in the first ten moves.
Every pawn advance creates some weakness behind it. The squares the pawn used to guard are now undefended. This is especially critical for the pawns in front of your King, moving them creates targets for your opponent's attack.
Endgame Principles for Pawns
The endgame is where pawns shine. With fewer pieces on the board, a single pawn can decide the game.
In the endgame, your King transforms from a piece needing protection to a powerful fighter. The endgame King marches up the board to support pawn promotion.
Each passed pawn has "key squares", if your King reaches these squares, the pawn will promote regardless of perfect defense. Having the opposition (when Kings face each other with one square between them and the other player must move) often determines whether a pawn endgame is won or drawn.
The "rule of the square" helps you calculate whether an enemy King can catch your pawn: draw an imaginary square from your pawn to the promotion square, extending sideways an equal number of squares. If the enemy King can step inside this square, it can catch the pawn. If not, the pawn will promote.
King and Pawn Endgame
A classic King and pawn endgame position. White's King on e4 supports the passed pawn on e5. Whether this position is won depends on who has the move and whether White can gain the opposition.
The Kings face each other in opposition. With White to move, this position requires careful play to promote the pawn.
History & Origins
The pawn descends from the infantry pieces in Chaturanga, the ancient Indian game from which chess evolved (roughly 6th century AD). In Chaturanga, infantry pieces moved one square forward and captured one square diagonally forward, essentially the same as today.
The two-square first move was added in Spain around the late 15th century, part of the same wave of reforms that transformed the game into its modern form. This change was designed to speed up the opening phase. To compensate for the ability of pawns to slip past each other using the new two-square move, the en passant capture was introduced simultaneously.
Pawn promotion has existed in some form since the earliest versions of chess, though the original rules often restricted promotion to the piece that had been captured on that file. The modern rule allowing promotion to any piece regardless of captures came later.
Fun Facts & Curiosities
It is theoretically possible to have nine Queens on the board at once, your original Queen plus all eight pawns promoted. In practice, even having two Queens is rare and usually decisive.
En passant is widely considered the most forgotten rule in casual chess. Many recreational players have never heard of it, leading to arguments when it appears in games.
The word "pawn" comes from the Old French "paon," meaning foot soldier, which in turn derives from the Latin "pedonem" (one who walks). In many languages, the pawn is called the "farmer" or "peasant", in German it is "Bauer" (farmer).
In competitive chess, approximately 80% of all promotions are to a Queen. Knight promotions are the second most common, usually for tactical reasons like delivering check.
Common Pawn Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Moving too many pawns in the opening is the most frequent beginner error. Pushing pawns instead of developing pieces means your opponent mobilises Knights, Bishops, and Rooks while your army sits at home. The fix: move two or three pawns to control the center, then focus on piece development.
Weakening your King's shelter is the second most common mistake. The pawns in front of your castled King protect it. Advancing them creates holes and targets for your opponent's attack. Only push these pawns when you have a concrete attacking reason.
Creating isolated or doubled pawns without compensation is a structural error. Before any capture, ask yourself: what will my pawn structure look like afterward, and is it worth it?
Ignoring passed pawns is an endgame mistake. A passed pawn that reaches the seventh rank often costs you a piece to stop, or promotes to a Queen. Block passed pawns early with a piece before they become dangerous.
Common Questions About Pawns
Can a pawn move backwards?
No. Pawns can only move forward. This is what makes pawn moves permanent commitments, once a pawn advances, it can never return to its previous square. This is unique among all chess pieces.
Can a pawn capture on its first move?
Yes. If there is an enemy piece on one of the pawn's diagonal capture squares, the pawn can capture it even as its very first move. The two-square advance option is separate from the ability to capture.
What happens if a pawn reaches the other side of the board?
It must immediately promote to another piece: Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight. You cannot keep it as a pawn and you cannot promote to a King. Most players choose a Queen since it is the most powerful piece.
Is en passant mandatory?
No. En passant is optional, you can choose not to capture. However, if you decide not to take en passant on the turn it is available, you lose the right to do so. The opportunity lasts for exactly one move.
Key Takeaways
1. Pawns define the position. Their structure determines where pieces belong and where attacks will happen.
2. Pawn moves are commitments. Unlike other pieces, pawns cannot retreat. Think before you push.
3. Pawns capture diagonally. This simple fact creates most of chess's tactical possibilities involving pawns.
4. Know the special rules. En passant and promotion are essential, do not let them surprise you.
5. In the endgame, pawns become decisive. A one-pawn advantage in a King-and-pawn ending is often enough to win.
6. "Pawns are the soul of chess." Philidor was right. Master the pawns, and you will understand the game at a deeper level.
Professor Archer says: If there is one thing I want you to take away from this lesson, it is this: every pawn move is a decision that cannot be undone. That does not mean you should be afraid to move your pawns. It means you should move them with intention. Ask yourself why before every push. That habit, more than anything else, is what separates a thoughtful player from a careless one.
Quick Quiz
Your pawn is on e5 and your opponent just played d7-d5. What special move is available to you?
- En passant, capture the d5 pawn by moving to d6 (Correct) - When an enemy pawn uses its two-square first move to land beside your pawn on the fifth rank, you can capture it en passant on your very next move. Your pawn moves to d6 and the d5 pawn is removed.
- Advance to e6, jumping over the d5 pawn - Pawns cannot jump over other pieces. Only knights have the ability to jump. A pawn can only move to the square directly in front of it (if unblocked) or capture diagonally.
- Capture the d5 pawn by moving to d5 - Pawns capture diagonally forward, not by moving onto the same file. The pawn would move to d6 (the diagonal square), not d5. The en passant capture has the pawn moving to the square the enemy pawn "passed through."
- No special move is available, you must wait until next turn - En passant is available immediately after the enemy pawn advances two squares beside your pawn. In fact, you must use it on this turn or lose the right. It is a "use it or lose it" opportunity.