On the first move a pawn may move forward either one square or two squares. On the later moves it may move forwards only one square.
A pawn cannot capture something which is just in front of it. This means that if there is something on the square in front of the pawn then the pawn cannot move forwards.
Later we will see that a pawn captures diagonally forwards. A pawn cannot move backwards.Diagram 1
In diagram1, Look at the pawn on c2. Since it is in its starting position this is its first move. It may move forwards either 1 square or 2 squares.
Diagram 1
2. The pawn has moved forwards 1 square from c2 to c3 as the blue line shows.
Diagram 2
This move is written c3. We do not write down P for pawn; we simply write the square it moves to.
Now look at the pawn on d2. It may move forward 1 or 2 squares.
Look at diagram 3 The pawn has moved forward 2 squares to d4. The move is written d4
Look at the pawn on e3. It has already moved forward. It can now move forward only 1 square at a time. It may move to e4
Diagram 3
Now look at diagram 4 The pawn has moved forward 1 square from e3 to e4 as shown by the blue line. This is written e4
Diagram 4
Diagram 5.Look at the pawn on a2. It is indicated by a blue star. It is blocked and cannot move move forwards because the white king is in the way
Diagram 5
7. The pawn has moved forward from b2 to b3. This is shown by the blue line. When we write down the move that a pawn makes we do not write P for pawn. We simply write down the square that the pawn moves to. This move is written b3.
The pawn on f2 cannot move forward at all because the black bishop is in the way
Diagram 7
9. The pawn has moved diagonally forward and captured the knight on f6. The move is written gxf6
Since the pawn is on the g file it is called a g pawn . x indicates a capture and the piece that is captured is on f6
Diagram 9
11. The pawn has moved forward diagonally and captured the rook on b4. This starts as a "c" pawn so the move is written cxb4
Diagram 11
13. The pawn has now moved to h8 and reached the edge of the board. It may be promoted to any piece (except the king) that white chooses.
Diagram 13
Diagram 6.Look at the pawn on b2. It is indicated by a blue star. It can move forward to b3 but not to b4 because the black rook is standing on that square.
Diagram6
8 The pawn on g5 cannot move straight ahead because the black rook is in the way. A pawn captures diagonally forward so this pawn may capture either the knight on f6 or the knight on h6.
Diagram 8
10. The pawn on c3 can either move forward one square to c4 or it can move diagonally forward and capture the rook on b4
Diagram10
12 The pawn on h7 may move forwards one square to h8. It will then have travelled all the way to the edge of the board.
Diagram 12
14. The pawn on h8 has been promoted to a queen. The black king is in check from the new queen and he must move.
A player usually promotes his pawn to a queen but occasionally he might choose a different piece.
Diagram 14
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