user12105: This may seem like a very amateur question, but I was playing chess with my dad, and when my dad won, I realized that I could've captured my own pawn in order to evade checkmate. I tried to do this move, but my dad said that it was cheating to do so. So can anybody settle this debate?

user7297: From the FIDE Laws of Chess, §3.1:

It is not permitted to move a piece to a square occupied by a piece of the same colour. If a  piece  moves  to  a  square  occupied  by  an  opponent’s  piece the  latter  is  captured  and  removed  from  the  chessboard  as  part  of  the  same  move.

(emphasis mine).
So you can't capture your own piece.

12105: <p>This may seem like a very amateur question, but I was playing chess with my dad, and when my dad won, I realized that I could've captured my own pawn in order to evade checkmate. I tried to do this move, but my dad said that it was cheating to do so. So can anybody settle this debate?</p>
 7297: <p>From the <a href="https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/LawsOfChess.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FIDE Laws of Chess</a>, §3.1:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>It is not permitted to move a piece to a square occupied by a piece of the same colour.</strong> If a  piece  moves  to  a  square  occupied  by  an  opponent’s  piece the  latter  is  captured  and  removed  from  the  chessboard  as  part  of  the  same  move.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(emphasis mine).</p>

<p>So you can't capture your own piece.</p>
