What en passant means
En passant is French for “in passing”. It is a special pawn capture: when an enemy pawn moves two squares forward from its starting square and lands directly beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square. Your pawn moves diagonally to the square the enemy pawn passed over, and the enemy pawn is removed from the board.
People often search for this rule as “empassment”, but the standard spelling is en passant.
When en passant is possible
All of these must be true:
- Your pawn is on its own fifth rank. For White that is rank 5 on the board; for Black it is rank 4.
- An enemy pawn moves two squares forward from its starting square and lands directly next to your pawn, on an adjacent file.
- You capture immediately, on your very next move. If you play something else, the right is lost.
- The capture is made only with a pawn, and only against a pawn.
A worked example
Suppose White has a pawn on e5. Black’s pawn is on d7 and Black plays d7-d5. The black pawn now sits beside White’s pawn. White can capture en passant by moving the e5 pawn to d6, and the black pawn on d5 is removed. The white pawn ends on d6, not d5.
If White had not captured immediately, for instance by playing another move first, the option would disappear.
Common misunderstandings
- It is not mandatory. You can choose to capture en passant or not.
- It only works right away. The chance lasts for exactly one move.
- It only applies after a two-square pawn move. A pawn that advanced one square at a time cannot be captured this way.
- Only pawns can do it. No other piece can capture en passant, and no other piece can be captured this way.
- It still must be legal. If capturing would leave your own king in check, you cannot do it; see how the king moves for the check rules.
Notation
In standard algebraic notation an en passant capture is written like a normal pawn capture, for example exd6. Some writers add “e.p.” at the end, such as exd6 e.p., but it is not required. For how pieces capture generally, see chess pieces: names and how each moves.
Why the rule exists
The usual explanation is that when pawns were given the option of a two-square first move, the rule kept a pawn from sneaking past an enemy pawn that could otherwise have captured it with a one-square move. Without en passant, the double step would let a pawn avoid capture it would have faced had it moved one square.
FAQ
Is en passant a real rule? Yes, it is part of the official rules of chess.
What are the rules for chess moves in general? Each piece has its own pattern; the main ones are summarized in the pieces and their moves.
Does it work diagonally? The capturing pawn moves diagonally, like any pawn capture. See which pieces move diagonally.
How many illegal moves are allowed? Penalties for illegal moves depend on the event rules, so check the rules for the tournament or site where you play.