Stepsies
For the parent

Pawn promotion

Lesson 13 of 20 Age 7+ Time 10 minutes Before this castling

In short

When a pawn reaches the last row on the other side, it must change at once into a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same color. Most players choose a queen. You may have more than one queen.

  • A pawn can't become a king, and it can't stay a pawn.
  • In a friendly game, an upside-down rook can stand in for a second queen.
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One more step, and this pawn becomes a queen.

Teach it

  1. DoPut a white pawn on e7.
  2. Say“When a pawn reaches the other end, it becomes a new piece. Most people pick a queen.”
  3. Ask“Can you have two queens?”
  4. Child“Yes!”
Hand the screen to your child

Your turn!

Move the pawn to the last row. You may move straight or capture a rook.

Three quick questions

  1. What can a pawn become?

  2. Can you have two queens?

  3. Does the pawn have to change?

Practice sheet: Promotion

One page, free to print, no sign-in. The answers print on the next page.

PromotionName ____________________
  1. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Draw where the pawn goes next. What will it become?

  2. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Name two squares where this pawn can promote.

  3. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can this pawn promote now?

Answers: Promotion

  1. c8, and it becomes a queen (or rook, bishop or knight).
  2. c8 (straight) or b8 (by capturing the rook).
  3. No: the rook blocks c8, and there is nothing to capture diagonally.

Questions parents ask

Can a pawn become a king?

No. A pawn can become a queen, rook, bishop or knight, but never a king.

Do you need a captured queen to promote?

No. You may promote to a queen even if your first queen is still on the board. If you have no spare queen, many players use an upside-down rook in a friendly game.

Rules checked against FIDE Laws of Chess, taking effect from 1 January 2023 (Article 3.7) on . Found something to fix? Tell us on the contact page.