Chess rules

What happens when a pawn reaches the end?

A pawn that reaches the far end of the board must be swapped for a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour, as part of the same move. You choose, and you can have more than one queen.

The rule

  1. 1A pawn that reaches the last rank must be promoted, straight away, as part of that move.
  2. 2You choose a queen, rook, bishop or knight. It cannot stay a pawn and cannot become a king.
  3. 3The choice does not depend on which pieces were captured: you can have two or more queens.
  4. 4The new piece acts at once, so a promotion can give check.

See it on the board

The pawn on e7 steps to e8 and becomes a queen: e8=Q.
The pawn on e7 steps to e8 and becomes a queen: e8=Q.
The knight is better here: e8=N+ gives check and attacks the queen on c7 at the same time.
The knight is better here: e8=N+ gives check and attacks the queen on c7 at the same time.

Questions

Can I have two queens?

Yes. Promotion does not depend on what has been captured, so you can promote to a second queen, or a third.

Can you choose not to promote, or keep it as a pawn?

No. A pawn that reaches the last rank must become a queen, rook, bishop or knight in the same move. A move to the last rank without choosing a piece is not a legal move.

What happens if the king reaches the other side?

Nothing. Only pawns promote. A king, queen, rook, bishop or knight on the far rank is simply a piece standing there.

Why would anyone choose a knight?

Because the knight moves in a way the queen does not. If promoting to a knight gives check and attacks something at the same time, it can be the strongest choice.

Next step

Lesson · 6 minFinish with a queen or a rookYou have a new queen. Here is how to finish the game with it.
Try it on a boardAll free lessons

Source: FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Articles 3.7.3.3 to 3.7.3.5. Every diagram on this page is checked against the rules by code: how we check.