Pawns, capturing, and promotion
How pawns move, take, and turn into a stronger piece.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Can explain Pawns, capturing, and promotion
The lesson
Pawns move straight forward, one square at a time. On a pawn's very first move it may go one or two squares. A pawn can never move backward.
Pawns capture in a different way from how they move. They take by going one square forward on a diagonal, never straight ahead.
A pawn blocked by a piece right in front of it is stuck. It cannot take the piece it is facing, only pieces on its two forward corners.
Set up a white pawn and a black piece one square ahead on a diagonal. See how the pawn captures by stepping onto that diagonal square.
When a pawn reaches the far end of the board it promotes. You trade it for a stronger piece, almost always a queen.
Pawns move forward, capture on the diagonal, never go backward, and promote when they reach the far side.
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Where it sits
Learn first
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8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.