How a pawn moves
A pawn moves one square forward. From its starting square, it may move two squares forward if both squares are empty.
Use the arrows under the board to step through the example. First, a pawn moves two squares from its starting rank. Then another pawn moves one square. The arrow always shows only the current move.
How pawns capture
Pawns do not capture forward. They capture one square diagonally forward. This makes pawn structure important because pawns control different squares from the ones they stand on.
Remember
- Pawns move forward, not backward.
- They capture diagonally.
- When a pawn reaches the last rank, it promotes.