En Passant

En Passant

This rule concerns the double-square move of the Pawn, ‘En Passant’ is french for ‘in passing’ some students have trouble understanding when this strange move can be played, so here is an attempt to clarify when it can happen.

You are White and you have a Pawn on your fifth rank, in front of it are some Black pawns on their starting squares.

It’s Black to move and can move either of it’s two outside pawns two squares, the middle pawn can only move one square. If Black decides to move one of it’s outside Pawns two squares, bringing it alongside the White Pawn, then White can capture with En Passant, as shown below:-

Another example White to move, Black has a Pawn on it's fifth rank

You don't have to capture 'en passant' if you don't want to, you could move your pawn forward or move another piece.

Rules of En Passant:-

  1. The taking Pawn has to be on the fifth rank
  2. The Pawn to be taken has to have moved two squares forward on it's first move.
  3. The capturing Pawn moves as if the Pawn to be taken had moved only one square
  4. The En Passant move may only be made immediately following the move of the Pawn to be taken.

En Passant Quiz

White has just moved a Pawn two squares, can Black take with En Passant?