What is Pawn (chess)?
{{no sources|date=November 2020}} {{multiple image |total_width=280 |caption_align=center |image1=Chess piece - White pawn.JPG |caption1=White pawn |width1=1000 |height1=1722 |image2=Chess piece - Black pawn.JPG |caption2=Black pawn |width2=1786 |height2=3186 }} The '''pawn''' (<font size=4 face=Arial Unicode MS>♙♟</font>) is the weakest [[chess piece|piece]] in the [[game]] of [[chess]]. They represent [[infantry]]. Each player starts the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the second row (or rank) from the view of the player. In the white pawns start on a2, b2, c2, ..., h2, while the black pawns start on a7, b7, c7, ..., h7. ==Moving== Pawns move differently than other pieces. Unlike all the other pieces, pawns cannot move backwards. Most of the time, a pawn moves by going up a single square, but the first time each pawn is moved from its starting place, it can go forward two squares. Pawns cannot use the first two-square move to jump over a square with another piece on it or to capture. Any piece in front of a pawn, white or black, stops its moving. If a pawn touches the other side it is exchanged by either a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight. === Capturing === {{Chess diagram small | tleft | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |__|__|__|rd|bd|nd|__|__ |__|__|__|__|pl|__|__|__ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |The pawn can capture the rook or the knight}} The white pawn at e4 can capture either the black rook at d5 or the black knight at f5, but not the bishop at e5, which blocks its straight way forward. Unlike other pieces, the pawn does not capture in the same way as it moves. A pawn captures [[diagonal]]ly, one square forward and to the left or right. In the diagram to the left, the white pawn can capture either the black rook or the black knight. === En passant === An even more unusual move is the ''[[en passant]]'' capture. {{Chess diagram | tright | |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__ |__|__|xx|__|__|__|__|__