How the pawn moves in chess
A free lesson from My Chess Family for children learning chess. Read it together, try each question on a real board, or print it out.
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Little steps
This is a pawn. Each side has eight of them.
A pawn moves straight forward, one step at a time. It never goes backwards.
New position. On its very first move, a pawn may take two steps.
Try it 1. Here's another pawn. Point to every square this pawn can move to.
Show the answer
d3, d4
Try it 2. New position. This pawn has moved already. Point to where it can go.
Show the answer
d5
Try it 3. Walk the pawn to the star!
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3 moves: c4, c5, c6
Here's a new position. A pawn can't move forward if a piece is in the way.
Try it 4. Can this white pawn move? A: YesB: No
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B: No
Catch on the slant
Pawns move straight, but they capture on the slant. One step forward and to the side.
Try it 5. Capture a black pawn!
Show the answer
exd5 or exf5
Try it 6. New position. Capture the black knight with a pawn!
Show the answer
cxd4
Try it 7. Here's another one. Which pawn can catch the rook? Capture it!
Show the answer
exf5
Remember. Straight to move, slanted to capture.
A new queen
When a pawn reaches the far end of the board, it turns into a new piece!
You can pick a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight. Most of the time, pick the queen!
Try it 8. Move the pawn to the end. Pick the queen!
Show the answer
e8=Q
Now you have a new queen!
Try it 9. Here's a new position. This pawn can capture its way to the end. Capture, and pick a queen!
Show the answer
bxa8=Q or bxc8=Q
Try it 10. What do most players pick when a pawn reaches the end? A: 
B: 
C: 
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A: the white queen
Pawn practice
Time to practise with pawns! Remember, pawns move straight forward, but they capture on the slant.
Here are some more pawns.
Try it 11. Only one pawn can capture. Capture with it!
Show the answer
exd5
Try it 12. New position. Make a new queen!
Show the answer
a8=Q or axb8=Q
Here's a new position. Sometimes a knight is better than a queen!
Try it 13. Make a knight! It will attack the rook and the queen at once.
Show the answer
e8=N
The knight attacks both. That's called a fork!
Try it 14. Which way does a pawn capture? A: StraightB: On the slant
Show the answer
B: On the slant
That's right! Pawns move straight forward, but they capture on the slant.
Next: What is check in chess?
Learn with the whole family
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