Graeme C Neatham wrote on Sun, Oct 15, 2006 11:25 AM UTC:
'Am I right in thinking that this means just the two
slightly-forward-but-mostly-sideways diagonals, as the straight forward
diagonal would advance the piece two ranks'
That's correct. To quote Derick Peterson:
'A pawn may capture any piece which rests on one of the two hexes
directly diagonally ahead of it (in the sense of a bishop's shortest
move) to its left or right, but it may not capture diagonally straight
ahead toward the enemy's back rank ...'
'Am I right in thinking that this means just the two slightly-forward-but-mostly-sideways diagonals, as the straight forward diagonal would advance the piece two ranks'
That's correct. To quote Derick Peterson:
'A pawn may capture any piece which rests on one of the two hexes directly diagonally ahead of it (in the sense of a bishop's shortest move) to its left or right, but it may not capture diagonally straight ahead toward the enemy's back rank ...'