The square of the pawn is an imaginary box with one side running from a passed pawn to its promotion square. If the defending king can step inside the box, it catches the pawn.
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It tells you at a glance whether a lone king catches a lone pawn, without counting move by move. In a race against the clock, that is a right answer instead of a guess.
How to do it
- 1Draw the line from the pawn to its promotion square and make a box on it.
- 2If the pawn's side is to move, draw the box from the square the pawn reaches next.
- 3For a pawn on its starting square, start the box one rank further up.
For your level
Draw a box from the pawn. A king inside the box catches it.
Check you have it
Question 1 of 1
Play the moves through. How does the game end?
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Common mistakes
- Forgetting that a pawn on its starting square moves two, so the box starts one rank higher.
- Trusting the box when other pawns or pieces block the king's path.
Questions
- Does the square rule work if the pawn has support?
- No. It is for a lone pawn against a lone king. If another piece or pawn can help either side, count the moves instead.
- What if the side with the pawn is to move?
- Push the pawn one square in your head first and draw the box from there. The king must be inside that smaller box.