Figure 7: Possible Initial Pawn Movements
Since the entire perimeter of a Sovereign Chess board is populated with pieces at the start of a game, it is insufficient to simply speak of rows when referring to pawn movement. The outer edge of the board--consisting entirely of major pieces--is called the first ring of the board, while all of the pawns (as well as the Ash and Slate knights) inhabit the second ring.
Pawns on the second ring have the option of moving two squares forward (that is, away from their closest edge), just as in traditional chess. Figure 7 shows how a White and Yellow pawn can move from their initial positions.
To demonstrate how a pawn ends up in the first ring, examine Figure 8. If White's opponent controls the Pink pieces, then the Pink pawn can capture the White Rook (by Rule #6), as it is closer to the brown line between the h and i files. From e1, it can later move to e2 or e3, or capture a piece located at f2. If the Pink pawn moves to e2, then on a later move, it can still use its two-square jump to advance to e4.
Figure 8: Pawn Ends on First Ring Through Capture
Figure 9: Possible Pawn Moves from e1
In Sovereign Chess, pawns are more versatile, more powerful, and more important than ever. One more pawn situation is covered in Rule #8...