can you attack a promoted pawn right away in chess?

Question

i was playing my uncle and he said his promoted pawn (queen) counldnt be attacked untill he moved it because then it was in play.

Answer 1

The flaw in his argument is that if you have any sense, you are already attacking the queening square so as to be able to deal with the threat of a pawn queening!

And so it isn't a question of attacking it, once it has promoted, as you would normally have the square defended (putting one of your rooks behind it is a good way to do that) and if he promotes, despite that, he can hardly be surprised if you then capture!

I think he just made that up to bamboozle you. With a spurious "Voice of Authority" trusting you don't know the rules well enough to argue back.

Well, I suggest you familiarise yourself with the rules. as the best antidote to such nonsense in the future, Better still have a copy of them about the house (download it from the link below?) and next time he tries it on, whip it out and hand it him and say "And where exactly does it say that in the rules?" and grin broadly at him.

Rather than be proved to look like a fool/bullshitter, he may prefer to take face-saving refuge in the "Well, that's how I was taught as a lad" Defence to try and wriggle off the hook.

In which case you could try reading him the relevant rule and suggest perhaps it would be best to play by the official rules of chess. so that you as a young person learning the game, learn the rules and are equipped to deal with arguments over the rules in the future.

ARTICLE 3.7e OF FIDE LAWS OF CHESS

(FIDE is the international body for chess, known by its initials in French, Federation Internationale Des Echecs)

3.7 (e)

When a pawn reaches the rank furthest from its starting position it must be exchanged as part of the same move for a new queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour.

The player`s choice is not restricted to pieces that have been captured previously.

This exchange of a pawn for another piece is called `promotion` and the effect of the new piece is immediate.

COMMENT

If the effect is immediate, it can give check on the move on which it promotes, so why cannot it be captured immediately? If your king is alone on the back rank, you could be checkmated and not be allowed to capture the checking piece! That hardly seems fair, does it?

In football (soccer) when a team wants to make a substitution, the referee waves on the new player as the old player leaves the pitch. There is no rule that says he cannot score a goal for the first five minutes, and there is no rule that says he cannot be tackled for the first 5 minutes either. He has been warming up on the side of the pitch and his arrival has been anticipated.

Rules have to be fair to both sides. If he wishes not to be attacked, is he proposing to not make any attacks with his newly promoted queen? Perhaps taking her off the board so he ensures she doesn't make any? Of course not!

Answer 2

When you move your pawn to get it promoted, you simply state what the piece is you wish to promote it to as you move it, then you remove the pawn and replace it with the desired piece, which can be anything other than a pawn or a king. Your turn ends, and the piece may be captured immediately by your opponent if he is able and willing to do so.

Answer 3

All pieces on the chess board are fair game in chess.

You can attack anything on the chessboard at any time if you are willing to pay the price, whether it is attacking, defending, exchanging a piece, losing material, being checkmated or losing the favor of an uncle.

Rob

Answer 4

Um, your Uncle is wrong. The pawn could be attacked as it is promoting.

Answer 5

if promotion is the last move of white(black), the next move of black(white) can be attack or beat that promoted chesspiece

Answer 6

Of course you should get rid of it asap
Seemed like your uncle tricked you :P

Answer 7

Definitely yes. I think your uncle realized he was getting his butt kicked so he made up a bullcrap rule. lol

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

He tricked you. I hope you kicked his butt!

Answer 10

you were fooled