 |
|
MAP Links Contact Us Books Glossary ECO Search Tools FAQ News
HOME CLUBS BANNERS BLOG VIRTUAL MUSEUM ARTICLES CAISSA FORUM
 | |||
 Chess Theory - MenuChess TheoryQuick introduction Current Chess TheoryNew Chess TheoryDynamic classification |
|
|
|
|
Pieces, we mean figures (i.e. chessmen), whose we have just studied the moving in the previous chapter, seem a priori to be eternal; this insofar as, if you imagine they maneuver freely on an empty chessboard, pacing up and down in any direction, their erratic moves can continue endless. Now, as we are going to realize quickly, it is not at all the same for a pawn ! This one, following the example of human beings, or if you prefer of the chrysalis which, sooner or later will be transformed in butterfly, unless it dies too rapidly, is submitted to an inflexible walking to the front limited in the time and irreversible. Hence we are going to see that a life of pawn does not last more than 6 moves . More exactly, in the course of a game, a pawn can stay motionless and then last indefinitely. But, considering its life only through its displacements, a pawn's life lasts at the very most 6 moves! Let us formulate this in a more precise way. A pawn, as distinct of other pieces, can not play more than 6 moves ; it is the case if and only if it gets promotion (we mean, it reaches the 8th rank, if it is white, or the 1st rank, if it is black, and then can be promoted into a Queen, a Rook, a Knight or a Bishop of the same color) on one hand and, on the other hand, has never moved two squares at the same time. Reciprocally a pawn can not reach the promotion if it has played strictly less than 5 moves. 1o) Start position and pawn denomination A White pawn is originally situated on the 2nd rank . A Black pawn is originally situated on the 7th rank . Considering that each side has 8 pawns at one's disposal, that means that, in start position, white pawns occupy fully the 2nd rank, then black pawns occupy fully the 7th one. Consequently, every camp has to its disposal, at the beginning of the game, a single pawn on each file. For this reason, at the beginning but also during the game: Each pawn of each side is designated by the name of its file (the file where it is at that time). . If a pawn changes file, what is precisely happening when it capture an enemy piece (pawn or figure), you give it the name of the new file (in other words the file of the new square occupied by the pawn after its moving). Nevertheless, during the game, . it is possible that many pawns are on the same file. In this case you need to distinguish them by the rank they occupy. . That amounts to saying that, at all events, . we can give to a pawn the name of the square it is occupying. For example the e4-pawn is the only one situated at the intersection between the e-file and the 4th rank. 2o) Usual advance of a pawn The usual advance of a pawn consists in moving, on its file, from the square that it occupies to the following, in the «positive direction» (CCT I- Introduction §B-3)) (walk to the front). Hence a White pawn goes, on its file, from a rank to the following one and a Black pawn goes, on its file, from a rank to the previous one. The imperative condition, for this move is possible, is that the «new square» (CCT I- Introduction §C-1)) must be free (i.e. : not occupied). Then, let us consider a pawn situated in e5 and making to usual advance. In this case it is going to e6 if it is white and in e4 if it is black.
DIAG 1 :
3o) Exceptional advance of a pawn When a pawn is on the start square (we mean: in the 2nd rank if it is white, in 7th rank if it is black) it has also the possibility to advance of two squares. This moving is realized along the file where is the pawn in the «positive direction» (we mean always in the direction of the opponent) (walk to the front). All occurs like if the pawn was allowed to play two times in succession. This way, for example (see the DIAG 1 ) the White b-pawn, situated in b2 can reach directly the b4-square ; and similarly the Black g-pawn, situated in g7 , can reach directly the g5-square 4o) Blockade of a pawn If a pawn finds in front of it (i.e.: on the square where it would go in case of «usual advance») a piece (figure or pawn), of its camp as well as of the opponent one, it is locking or blocking, at least concerning its advance (walk to the front). And this situation continue as long as the blocking-piece do not leave the square it is occupying. Remark: A pawn, situated on the «start square do not be able to realize the «exceptional advance» (of two squares), if the «new square» (CCT I - Introduction §C-1)) relative to this move (e.g. the b4-square for the b2-pawn or the g5-square for the g7-pawn), is occupied by a piece (figure or pawn) of its side or of the opponent's side.
1o) Diagonally capture of an opponent's piece That it is be blocked or no, it doesn't matter : A pawn can «capture» a piece (pawn or figure) only if this one is : i) in contact with it, ii) situated on a lateral square on the rank directly in front of it (see the DIAG 2):
DIAG 2 :
2o) Capture «en passant» (in passing) During the «exceptional advance» of two squares (e.g. from b2 to the b4-square for the White b-pawn or from g7 to the g5-square for the Black g-pawn) all occurs like if the moving pawn, changing its square for the «new square» situated two cells (i.e. two squares) in front to it, would must jump over the intermediate square, exactly as if it would have to pass across the «intermediate square» (e.g. b3 for the White b-pawn or g6 for the Black g-pawn), corresponding to its way in front to it on its file. In the case of the «exceptional advance» of a pawn, if we suppose that this one can be captured by a opponent pawn, during its crossing through the intermediate square (this one it would be reached in case of «usual advance»). In this situation, the opposite side is able to carry out the «prise en passant» ; French expression meaning : «capture in passing». In concrete terms all take place like if the advance of two squares , when the advance of a single square would have permitted an exchange of pawns, is conditioned to the acceptance of the other camp ; this one, when he has the fist move at its disposal (i.e. when it is at its turn to play), may freely decide that the moving enemy pawn has only advanced of a single square and , consequently, practices the exchange :
DIAG 3:
Let us suppose, for example, that White wants to play his b2-pawn and decides to put it on the b4-square , when a Black pawn is setting in c4 (or as well in a4 ). If Black decides to execute the «prise en passant», just at this moment (when he is getting the «first move») - and not ulteriorly! -, the pawn c4 (or a4) captures the White pawn and takes its place on the b3-square . In the same way, let us suppose now that Black wants to play his g7-pawn and decides to put it on the g5-square , when a White pawn is setting in f5 (or as well in h5 ). If White decides to execute the «prise en passant», just at this moment (when he is getting the «first move») - and not ulteriorly! -, the pawn f5 (or h5) captures the Black pawn and takes its place on the g6-square . 3o) The pawn promotion If a White pawn reaches the 8th rank it is usual to say that it is accorded to it a promotion ; and similarly if a Black pawn reaches the 1st rank . In both cases we say that the pawn is promoted . Then : the promoted pawn disappear from the chessboard and is replaced by a figure of the same color arbitrarily picks by the camp benefiting of the promotion. First take good note that after many promotions a side can dispose of an unusual number of figures of a particular kind (two or three Queens, three Knights etc...). The pawn may be promoted into [statistics come from Wikipedia and are related to the 2006 ChessBase database of 3,200,000 games (largely grandmaster- and master-level), the breakdown of games in which promotions occur]: It is equally known that, in the great majority of games, the promotion is a significant theme, but intervening as a threat more than a reality; only 01,5 % of games, in the 2006 ChessBase database contain a promotion (Wikipedia statistics). *** CLASSICAL CHESS THEORY :
*** FOR PLEASANT SURFING AROUND THIS SITE:
*** FOR DISCOVERING WHO WE ARE:
******** ©-«Chess-Theory.com»-2004-2008 ******** |
 |
