The Pawn

This document covers the basic moves of the Pawn and Pawn strategies.

SteveB

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8,2,4,16,32,4,2,8,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,129,129,129,129,129,129,136,130,132,144,160,132,130,136|2,0,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,0,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,0,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,1,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,1,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,1,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,2,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,3,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,4,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,4,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,4,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,5,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,5,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,5,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,6,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,2,7,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,7,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,7,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,7,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,7,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,7,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,6,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,5,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,5,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,5,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,4,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,4,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,4,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,3,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,2,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,1,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,1,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,1,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,0,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,0,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,0,0,0,yellowhl.png,R|   The Pawn (♙,♟) is the most numerous piece on the chess board and it has the most complex rules for movement.  Part of it's uniqueness is it is the only piece that can not move backwards. And on it's first move a pawn has a choice to move two squares or one.  Once the pawn has moved it no longer has the option to move two squares.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|5,2,2,1,targetattack.png,0,5,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,3,0,0,yellowhl.png,R,4,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,5,6,3,0,targetmove.png,0,6,6,0,0,yellowhl.png,R|   A pawn can only move forward except to capture.  A pawn captures by making a forward diagonal movement.  If a piece is directly in front of a pawn it will not be able to forward as is the case with black's d7 pawn.  However d7 can capture the knight.  Black's g7 can move one or two squares forward.

White's d6 pawn is not able to move since it can not capture and it's forward path is blocked.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|6,3,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,5,2,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,5,2,1,0,attackcross.png,0,6,3,1,0,aimage.png,0,2,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,3,3,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,3,0,0,yellowhl.png,R|   Here the back pawn captured the knight.

The white pawn can only move forward one or two squares.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0||   The pawn as a special capture called "en passant" (french for while passing).

Let's say it is whites move and white is trying to keep black from capturing it's pawn so white moves it's pawn up two squares.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|1,2,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,3,2,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,1,2,1,0,aimage.png,0|   Black can capture "en passant" by placing it's pawn directly behind where white moved it's pawn, is if white only moved it's pawn once.|2,1,2,3,blue,1,3,2,2,red|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|2,2,1,0,attackcross.png,0,3,1,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,2,2,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,3,1,1,0,aimage.png,0|After the "en passant" capture.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|0,2,3,0,targetmove.png,0,1,2,0,0,yellowhl.png,R|When a pawn makes it to the enemy's 8th rank it can be promoted to either a queen, rook, bishop or a knight.  Most of the time a player will promote to a queen.|2,1,2,0,green|0,0,0,0,0,0,130,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,130,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,132,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,136|2,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,0,6,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,0,6,0,0,green_f.png,0|However there are  some cases it is best to promote to a knight, where the promotion would check or checkmate your opponent.  In this example if the player were to promote to a queen the game would end in stalemate.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|2,3,0,0,yellow_f.png,0,1,3,0,0,yellow_f.png,0|Pawn Terminology:

Doubled pawns:  Doubled pawns are a result of capturing and are considered weak since the pawns can not longer support one another.
||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|3,3,0,0,green_f.png,0,4,3,0,0,green_f.png,0,4,4,0,0,green_f.png,0,3,2,0,0,yellow_f.png,0,2,2,0,0,yellow_f.png,0,4,1,0,0,green_f.png,0,4,2,0,0,green_f.png,0,3,1,0,0,green_f.png,0|   However their is a case where doubled pawns can help as shown here, whites double pawn structure helps white control the center.|2,2,3,3,yellow,2,3,3,4,yellow,3,3,4,4,yellow|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,0,129,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|6,6,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0,1,0,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0|The isolated pawn:

An isolated pawn is a pawn which has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. An isolated queen's pawn is often called an isolani or IQP. Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns.

Many standard openings create at least one isolated pawn but are accepted as orthodox because they create advantages, that offset or even outweigh the weaknesses associated with the pawn's isolation.

Here white's a2 pawn and black's g7 pawn are isolated pawns.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,129,129,129,0,129,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|3,2,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0,3,3,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0|Hanging Pawns:

Hanging pawns are two friendly pawns abreast without friendly pawns on adjacent files. Hanging pawns can be either a strength (usually because they can advance) or a weakness (because they cannot be defended by pawns) depending on circumstances.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,129,129,129,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|2,7,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0|Backward pawns:

A backward pawn is a pawn that is behind a pawn of the same color on an adjacent file and that cannot be advanced without loss of material, usually the backward pawn itself.

Here the white pawn on the h3 square is backward. It is undefended and if it advances, black's g5 pawn can capture it.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,129,1,0,129,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,160,0,0,0|4,7,4,0,green_overlay.png,0,5,0,4,0,green_overlay.png,0,5,1,4,0,green_overlay.png,0,2,2,4,0,green_overlay.png,0|Passed Pawn:

A passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth rank.  There are no opposing pawns in front of it on the same file or on an adjacent file.

A passed pawn is sometimes colloquially called a passer. Passed pawns can be an advantage because only the opponent's pieces can prevent them from promoting.

Here the white pawns on b6 and h5 are passed pawns. Black's pawn on a6 and c3 are passed pawns.||

SgtScotty Premium Icon - 07:23 PM September 18, 2016

That's a great suggestion!

theville Premium Icon - 10:51 PM March 27, 2016

It would be great if you could do a document on passed pawns, double pawns, base pawns, etc.