Knighty
Login
Beginner

9. Pawn Promotion

Learn what happens when a pawn reaches the other side of the board.

Try Interactive Lesson

Introduction

When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it must promote to another piece—queen, rook, bishop, or knight. This is one of the most exciting moments in chess!

Lesson Content

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

This white pawn on e7 is one square away from the 8th rank. When it advances to e8, it must promote to a piece of your choice. Most players choose a queen since it's the strongest.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
1. ..e8=Q

Push the pawn to e8 and promote it to a queen!

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

Great—your pawn is now a queen! There's no limit—you could have up to 9 queens if all 8 pawns promote. In practice, one extra queen is usually enough to win.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a

Promoting to a knight can be the winning move! Here e8=N+ checks the king AND attacks the queen at the same time — a fork no queen could make from e8. After the king moves you capture the queen, then push your a-pawn to promote and win. This is called "underpromotion."

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

When a pawn reaches the last rank, what happens?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a

Which piece do players promote to most often?

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

Can you promote a pawn to a king?

Key Takeaways

  • Pawns must promote when reaching the last rank
  • You can choose queen, rook, bishop, or knight
  • Queen is almost always the best choice
  • Knight promotion (underpromotion) is sometimes useful for checks
  • You can have multiple queens on the board at once

Summary

Pawn promotion turns your weakest piece into your strongest! Push your pawns toward the finish line and earn a new queen.

Ready to Practice?

Practice Interactively