What is en passant in chess?

In this article, we will explore the en passant rule — how it works and how to capture it.

En passant is a special pawn capture that occurs when an opponent’s pawn moves two squares forward from its starting position. 

For the move to be legal, the following conditions must be met:

• Your pawn must be on the 5th rank (for White) or 4th rank (for Black).

• The opponent’s pawn has just made an initial two-square advance.

• The pawns must be on adjacent files.

• The capture must be done immediately — it cannot be delayed to a later move.

How does en passant work?

If all conditions are met, your pawn captures the opponent’s pawn diagonally, as if it had moved only one square instead of two. Your pawn then moves to the 6th rank (White) or 3rd rank (Black).

In conclusion, en passant is a unique chess rule that allows a pawn to capture an adjacent enemy pawn immediately after it advances two squares from its starting position if all conditions were met. 

Read also the article "What pawn structure to choose".