The Power of the Pawn

When compared to other Chess pieces, the pawn may seem rather small and insignificant.

However, its placement on the battle field front line, in lock step with his brothers in arms make it a true force to be reconned with.

It knows there is safety in numbers.

With its first courageous move, it can double its advance into harms way, and will depend on it's brethren for protection.

'Surrender' and 'Defeat' are not words in its vocabulary, it only knows how to advance forward, and can take vicious swipes to the 2 diagonal spaces in front of it. Slaying anything that dares to step into its deadly reach.

If a Pawn can advance all the way to the back of the battle field, the King rewards its bravery and wherewithal with promotion in rank to another Chess piece and gains all of its power. Any piece, that is, except another King. His Majestry's Kingdom is ruled as a monarchy.

It even has a special attack in which it can attack an enemy pawn that tries to bypass it. The mighty Pawn's special attack is called 'en passant' which translates to 'in passing', and it is the only piece that can attack thin air and kill. Don't beleive me? Look it up in the rule book, and then try to use it in your next game.

Beyond the world of Chess, the Pawn in more than an infantryman.

In other games, its movements and attacking abilities are bound only by the rules of that particular game. Some can move forward, backwards, adjacently, diagonally, or orthogonally, 1 or many spaces. Some can leapfrog over others, while others can leave footprints, or pick up treasures.

In the most generic sense of the word, it is more than a phallic shaped plastic game piece, it could represent you, me, and everything that ever has or will exist.

In the game of Aires, the Pawns are big horned rams, fighting for stud rights and to claim king of the mountain.

In the game of Trike, the singular Pawn is a ballerina dancer leaving footprints where ever it was.

In the game of Horsesh!t, some Pawns are designated as Knight Paladin horsemen, while others represent the residue they leave behind.

In the fantasy futuristic game 'Trippin Spacesuit Monkeys' you guessed it, the Pawns are primate astronauts, trying to construct a space station across the galaxy.

In the ancient game of Hnefatafl, I dont see a Pawn, I imagine the characters on a Molly Hatchet album cover. I see a 6 foot savage marauderous Viking with war paint, beating his battle axe against his shield, taughting the Kingdom Knights into battle.

In these and hundreds of other games, the Pawn can have a multitude of powers, abilities and they each have their own story to tell.

Now imagine its point of view from the game board, at eye level, starring across a battelfield divide at a hoard of castle guards, pirates, gladiators, knights and royalty. Imagine the intimidation from the other side, and the reliance on its brethren to stand fast.

Imagine the incredible fierceness, and bravery of the first Pawn to step valiantly foward into battle. I like to announce his conviction with a good battle cry! YEARGH! It sets the stage for the fight to come.

In truth, you dont even need official game pieces. The Pawn can be played by any number of objects - bottelcaps, coins, see shells, beans, Legos or those green and tan army characters, alraedy posing in action. So long as they have uniformity to tell them apart.

All you really need is a good quality game board to play on, and I happen to know a big ugly ape that can help you with that.