How do pawns move in chess

In the image below, we can see that moving the a7-pawn to a8 results in promotion! Promoting to a queen or a rook will lead to checkmate! In rare instances, underpromotion is best. Underpromotion occurs when a pawn is promoted to a knight, bishop, or rook instead of a queen.

In the following position, underpromoting to a knight is the best move because it creates a checkmate! Let's test you to see if you can recognize how the pawn moves.

In the following position, can White's pawn on the c7-square move to c8? Yes, the pawn can move to c8 and promote! Let's try another one—can White's pawn on e4 capture the black pawn on d5? You now know where to place the pawns when a game is started, how much the pawn is valued, how pawns move and capture, how en passant happens, and how a pawn promotes!

Enjoy your new knowledge of pawns! Reading an article is a wonderful way to learn new material. Watching a video lesson can be even more helpful! Check out the short video lesson below about the pawn! The pawns at their starting positions. Most experts would agree, though, that giving up a Bishop is better than giving up a Rook. Considered the most dangerous and versatile piece on the board, the Queen chess piece is also one of the most important. Unless you are an expert chess player, losing your queen piece can easily be the final blow before falling to your opponent.

Most players are willing to sacrifice just about any other piece on the board in order to save their queen. So why is the queen so important? The queen chess piece is like a combination of the Rook and Bishop chess pieces. Each player starts out with one queen piece although any pawn that makes it to the other side of the board can be traded in for another queen, which is why some chess sets come with extra queens.

The queen can move forward or diagonal in any direction. Here are a few notes:. Most players try to keep their queen defended because of its ability to move. It is a very useful piece in any chess game and is often involved in endgame strategy. Experts try to get the queen piece toward the center of the board as soon as possible in order to help defend that space and gain an advantage over their opponent. The queen can be used in a variety of defensive strategies and works well to defend the King no matter where the King is on the board, so long as the queen is nearby.

The most dangerous piece to a queen is the opponent's knight pieces. The queen may not be able to attack a knight piece directly that is attacking the queen, so players try to be wary of their opponent's knight pieces. Advanced players may be more likely to sacrifice their queen in an attempt to win a game, though this is quite rare. The last piece to discuss on the chess board is the King piece. This piece is the game winner. Once your king is check-mated, the game is over, and your opponent wins, regardless of the score.

The King chess piece is the piece you must protect the most and you cannot live without. Many experienced players, though may find themselves utilizing their king in an attempt to gain an advantage over an opponent, something weaker chess players are very leery of doing.

No matter how you choose to use your King piece, he must stay alive at all costs. King chess pieces are somewhat limited in their movement.

They cannot go riding across the chess board as quickly as most other pieces and they are easier to contain than most chess pieces from an opponent's perspective. Here are a few rules to note:. Safety first, is the motto most chess players abide by when moving and using their king piece.

Experienced players can use their king piece to help set traps and capture opposing pieces, though the King is rarely the aggressive piece in this situation. Most players try to keep their king piece in one of their two corners where there are fewer directions from which an attack can come.

Often, castling with a rook piece early in the game gets the King piece to the corner faster, keeping the piece safer from attacks. Affiliate Program. Price Match Policy. Here are a few things to know about how a pawn chess piece moves: Pawn chess pieces can only directly forward one square, with two exceptions.

Pawns can move directly forward two squares on their first move only. Pawns can move diagonally forward when capturing an opponent's chess piece.

Once a pawn chess piece reaches the other side of the chess board, the player may "trade" the pawn in for any other chess piece if they choose, except another king. The Pawn Ram When two pawns meet at squares directly in front of each other, they are considered part of a "ram". Chess rules are surprisingly easy to learn, yet can take a lifetime of hard work to master! The King is the most important piece on the chessboard.

If he is checkmated see objectives, below the game is over! The King in chess can move one space in any direction see the diagram. He can never move in to "check" where he is threatened by another piece. This means the king can never be in the space adjacent to the opposing King. The Queen is often considered the most powerful piece on the chessboard. She is placed next to the king, on her own color. The game is not over when she is lost, but if your opponent has a Queen and you do not, you may find yourself at a considerable disadvantage!

Like the King, the Queen can move in any direction. However, she is not limited to just one space - she can move any number of spaces in any direction, as long as she is not obstructed by another piece see the diagram Of course, if that obstruction is an opposing piece, she is free to capture it!

There are two Bishops for each player on the chessboard, situated next to Queen and the King, respectively. These pieces move along the diagonals of the chessboard. You can see that this means that the Bishop is bound to the color square it starts on. One Bishop starts on a white square, and one starts on a black square. They can move any number of spaces on the diagonals as long as they are not obstructed by another piece see the diagram.

Of course, if that obstruction is an opposing piece, they are free to capture it! There are two Knights for each player on the chessboard, situated between the Bishop and the Rook.

The Knight has the unique trait of being able to 'leap' over other pieces. They move in an "L" shape see the diagram. If they land on an opposing piece, it is captured. There are two Rooks for each player on the chessboard, situated on the corners, next to the Knight. How Chess Pawns Move. Unlike all other chess pieces, Pawns move and capture in different ways.

The Pawn can only move forward. It never moves sideways or backwards. This means that each time a White Pawn moves, it advances toward Black's side of the chess board, and each time a Black Pawn moves, it advances toward White's side of the board.