Pawn - Soldier

Historically called the

INFANTRY

In Western Chess the Pawn - Slider - Value 2 or 3 - a Pawn can move one square forwards to an empty square. For its first move it can move one or two squares forward to an empty square.

In Great Chess the Soldier can also move backwards one square, as long as that square is empty.

A Pawn/Soldier cannot jump over other pieces or capture on the above moves.

Soldiers can only capture an opposing piece by moving one square diagonally forward.

Soldier Promotion:

In Western Chess when a Soldier (pawn) advances to the eighth rank, as a part of the move it is promoted and must be exchanged for the player's choice of queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color. Usually, the pawn is chosen to be promoted to a queen, but in some cases another piece is chosen; this is called under-promotion. There is no restriction on the piece promoted to, so it is possible to have more pieces of the same type than at the start of the game (e.g., two or more queens).

In Great Chess a Soldier may elect to either promote or remain a soldier upon reaching the last row. A Soldier can be promoted to any captured piece of the same colour. If no captured piece is available for promoting, that Soldier remains a Soldier indefinitely.

En Passant (in-passing): (Optional move)

If a pawn takes a double step from its starting position and lands directly beside an opposing pawn, then on the next move only, the opposing pawn may take the first pawn by moving diagonally behind it as though it had only advanced a single square. This unusual form of capture is known as the en-passant rule (taking 'on the way past').

"Hail Caesar. We who are about to die, salute you"

Salute to the emperor Claudius, by captives and criminals fated to die fighting during a naval battle, staged for entertainment on Lake Fucinus in AD 52.