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Pawn Promotion

Pawn promotion in chess allows a player to replace a pawn with a more powerful piece upon reaching the last rank. Players can choose to promote to a queen (queening) or underpromote to a knight, bishop, or rook depending on the game situation. It is crucial to follow specific rules during promotion to avoid illegal moves, such as promoting without removing the pawn or causing a stalemate.

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300 views2 pages

Pawn Promotion

Pawn promotion in chess allows a player to replace a pawn with a more powerful piece upon reaching the last rank. Players can choose to promote to a queen (queening) or underpromote to a knight, bishop, or rook depending on the game situation. It is crucial to follow specific rules during promotion to avoid illegal moves, such as promoting without removing the pawn or causing a stalemate.

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amit biswas
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Pawn Promotion

How to Promote a Pawn in Chess

Pawn promotion is an important strategic and legal move in the game of


chess that can help chess players earn a decisive victory over an
opponent.
What Is Pawn Promotion?
Pawn promotion is a chess move that allows a player to promote, or
replace, a pawn with a more powerful piece of the same color when it
reaches the last rank on the chessboard. According to the official rules of
both the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and US Chess Federation (USCF),
players must immediately have to replace a promoted pawn with his/her
choice of queen, bishop, knight, or rook.
So it’s possible to have a second queen or more (up to nine queens).
What Are the Types of Pawn Promotion?
 Queening: When a white or black pawn reaches its promotion
square, players can exchange it for a queen, the most powerful piece
in a chess game, of their respective color. This type of promotion is
known as “queening the pawn” or “queening.”
 Underpromotion: Players can also exchange promoted pawns for
a knight, bishop, or rook. Underpromotion can be useful in specific
game scenarios when promoting a queen can cause a draw because
of a stalemate, which occurs when a player cannot make a legal
move during their turn, and their king is not in check.
How to Promote a Pawn?
Players promote pawns using the same method for both queening and
underpromotion. However, there are variables and specific rules that apply
to formal chess games.
 Advance your pawn. A player advances their pawn to the
promotion square in the farthest rank from their original square:
This is the eighth rank for white pawns, while for black pawns, it’s
the first rank.
 Take your new piece. Players take the piece of their choice from
the captured pieces held by their opponent. If that piece is not
available in formal or tournament play, players can ask the judge
or tournament official to stop the clock and retrieve the requested
piece. The promotional decision is not final until the promoted
piece is placed in the promotional square. Players cannot promote
a king or pawn.
Avoid these common mistakes. There are many illegal moves or
decisions related to pawn promotion. These include…

1. Using a pawn on its side as a substitute for a queen or an


upside-down rook;
2. Promoting the pawn without removing the pawn from the
chessboard in formal play;
3. Using both hand at the time of promotion;
4. Queening a pawn in a scenario that will cause a stalemate or
draw. These are common blunders that even grandmasters
make on occasion, but in most or all cases, they are illegal
moves in all forms of play, from casual games to
tournament competitions.

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