Pawns are unique in chess as they're the only pieces that move differently when capturing. From their starting position, pawns can move either one or two squares forward. After their first move, they can only advance one square at a time.

Watch as the white pawn demonstrates its movement patterns. While pawns can only move straight forward, they capture diagonally! In this position, you can see how the pawn can either advance one or two squares forward (since it hasn't moved yet), or capture the black pawns on either diagonal.

Pawns also have two special abilities: en passant captures (a special capture when an enemy pawn uses its two-square advance to avoid capture) and promotion (when a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it can be converted into any other piece except a king, usually becoming a queen).