A pawn‘s movement is fairly simple, but it can still be a bit confusing. Here are some common questions around diagonal pawn movement.

Can Pawns Move Diagonally?

Sometimes. For normal moves, no, they only go straight ahead—1 or 2 squares on the first move and only 1 square after that. However, when capturing, a pawn moves diagonally forward 1 square. Here’s a visual on the pawn’s movement.

The pawn on the left moves forward 1 square, which is how pawns usually move. The second pawn from the left moves forward 2 squares because it’s the first time it has moved (it could also just move 1 square instead). The **second pawn from the right** shows how a pawn captures: 1 square **diagonally forward** where the “X”s are. The pawn on the right side has made it all the way to the other side of the board. The player now turns it into a queen, rook, bishop or knight.

A pawn also moves diagonally forward during the en passant capture.

Can Pawns Move Diagonally Without Capturing?

No. If a pawn isn’t capturing an enemy piece, it can only move straight ahead.

Can Pawns Move Diagonally Backwards?

No. There’s no situation where a pawn moves backwards in any way.

Can Pawns Move Diagonally On Their First Move?

Only if a pawn is capturing on its first move. Otherwise, it can only move forward 1 or 2 squares.

Can Pawns Move Diagonally To Become a Queen?

If a pawn enters the opponent’s back row by capturing a piece, it will move diagonally forward for the capture like always. Otherwise, it can only move straight forward into the back row.