Bishop pawn

Also known as: bishop's pawn

A pawn on a bishop file, meaning the c-file or the f-file.

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Explanation

A bishop pawn is a pawn on the c-file or the f-file. A file is a vertical column of the board. The name comes from the initial setup: the bishops begin on c1 and f1 for White, and on c8 and f8 for Black.

Traditional terminology distinguishes the queen bishop pawn on the c-file from the king bishop pawn on the f-file. Modern writing usually says c-pawn or f-pawn instead. The label identifies a file, not a movement pattern: the pawn keeps the ordinary pawn rules and does not move like a bishop.

This naming system also produces terms such as and . If a pawn captures onto another file, a location-based description of that pawn may change as well.

Common confusions

It moves like a bishop

It does not. 'Bishop' identifies the file associated with a bishop in the initial setup; the piece still moves and captures as an ordinary pawn.

Sources

  1. 1.Chess Glossary and Chess Terms, Master In Chess
  2. 2.Chess Notation, Rook House

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