A pawn moves forward into an empty square
A pawn normally advances one square directly forward. For White, forward means toward higher rank numbers; for Black, toward lower ones. A white pawn on e4 can move to e5 if e5 is empty. A black pawn on e5 would move toward e4.
Pawns cannot move backward or sideways. That makes a pawn move a commitment: unlike a knight or bishop, the pawn cannot return to its previous square later. Before pushing one, notice what it currently protects and which squares it will stop protecting.
The two-square option belongs to the starting square
On its first move, a pawn may advance one or two squares. Both the square it passes over and its destination must be empty for the two-square move. White’s starting rank is 2, and Black’s is 7.
In the initial position, e3 and e4 are both legal choices for White’s e-pawn. If White chooses e3, that pawn cannot play e5 on its next turn. The unused two-square option is not something you can save for later.
The e2 pawn has a one-square or two-square option on its first move.
Position FEN
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1A pawn captures one square diagonally forward
A white pawn on e4 attacks d5 and f5. If an enemy piece occupies one of those squares, the pawn may capture it, provided White’s king remains safe. The pawn cannot capture an enemy piece directly ahead on e5; that piece blocks its forward movement instead.
Replay 1. e4 d5 2. exd5. White’s e-pawn leaves the e-file and lands on d5, where the black pawn stood. The x marks a capture, and the initial e identifies the file the capturing pawn came from.
White captures diagonally with exd5, not straight ahead.
Position FEN
rnbqkbnr/ppp1pppp/8/3p4/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 2Pause at any move in a diagram, then open that exact position in Chat to ask about it or in Coach to practice.
En passant and promotion complete the pawn rules
En passant is a special diagonal capture immediately after an adjacent enemy pawn moves two squares. The capturing pawn lands on the square the enemy pawn passed over, and the enemy pawn is removed from its landing square. Waiting one turn loses that opportunity.
Promotion happens when a pawn reaches the farthest rank. It becomes a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of its own color as part of the move. A diagonal capture can also be a promotion.
For practice, point to a pawn’s forward move and its two attacked squares before touching it. Then ask whether moving it would uncover a line toward your king. That last check catches pinned-pawn moves that look geometrically correct but are illegal.
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Sources and editorial notes
Examples are composed for teaching unless stated otherwise. Legal replay is checked with chess.js; this does not prove that every composed position arose in a real game. Demonstration lines illustrate an idea and are not claimed to be the unique best defense.
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