Okay so hear me out. In real life, the queen is not special in any physical way. So the movements of a queen are just normal movements of a human being. The queen is running people down with her sword. Makes sense so far.

The knights are horses, so they move erratically, they can’t do exactly what their owner asks them to. Also makes sense.

The rooks are powerful pieces that can only move in straight lines, sort of like battering rams. Difficult to get a battering ram into the place it needs to be (like a rook) but very powerful when used correctly.

The king is like a hobbling old man who can only move a few steps in any direction, and he moves slowly, and he needs rests in between. Hence only one block per move.

But the PAWNS are where it gets dark. Of course, the pawns are human beings. So they should be able to move like the queen, right?
But they cant! What if… they were little children, bogged down by oversized armor and equipment of war, being forced to fight for their kings? That would explain the limited range of movement they had.