How a pawn moves in chess

   The most numerous piece in the game of chess, the pawn is also the weakest because of its limited mobility. Each player starts the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the second rank (for White) or seventh rank (for Black). In algebraic notation the white pawns start on a2, b2, c2, ..., h2, while the black pawns start on a7, b7, c7, ..., h7.

   Pawns may be differentiated by the files in which they currently stand, for example one speaks of "white's f-pawn".  It is also common to refer to a rook pawn, meaning any pawn on the a-file or h-file; a knight pawn (b- or g-files), a bishop pawn (c- or f-file), a queen's pawn (on the d-file), and a king's pawn (on the e-file).

Pawn Movement

  The pawn can move forward to the square in front of itself. A pawn on its starting square has the option of moving forward two squares.

   Unlike all the other pieces, pawns may not move backwards. Normally a pawn moves by advancing a single square, but the first time each pawn is moved from its initial position, it has the option to advance two squares. Pawns may not use the initial two-square advance to jump over an occupied square, or to capture. 

Pawn Captures

   Unlike other pieces, the pawn does not capture in the same way as it moves. A pawn captures diagonally, one square forward and to the left or right. In the diagram below, the white pawn may capture either the black bishop on f5. Any piece directly in front of a pawn blocks its advance.

Both the b2 and g4 pawns each have two moves, while the hapless d5 pawn (and the Black d6 pawn, for that matter) sits blockaded, watching the action, centrally immobilized.

Next: En passant captures