What is en passant?
A pawn may move two squares from its starting square. But if it skips past a square that an enemy pawn attacks, that enemy pawn may capture it anyway, as if it had moved only one square. This is called capturing en passant.
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The three conditions
- Your pawn stands on the fifth rank (for Black: the fourth rank).
- Your opponent's pawn moves two squares from its starting square and lands on the square next to your pawn, on the same rank.
- You capture at once, on the very next move. If you wait a move, the chance is gone for good.
Your pawn moves diagonally to the square your opponent's pawn skipped over, and the pawn that moved two squares is removed from the board. En passant is optional, like every capture in chess, but it can be the only legal move, and then it must be made.
Try it yourself
Black can do it too
The rule works for both colors. A black pawn on the fourth rank can capture a white pawn that moves two squares past it.
How is en passant written?
Like an ordinary pawn capture, with the file the pawn comes from and the square it lands on: exd6. Sometimes e.p. is added to make it clear, exd6 e.p., but it isn't needed.
The tricky case
En passant follows the same rule as every other move: you may not put your own king in check. Since two pawns vanish from the same rank at once, it can sometimes open a rank toward the king.
Why does the rule exist?
The pawn's double step from its starting square came about to speed up the game. En passant makes sure the double step can't be used to slip past an enemy pawn that stands guard. The pawn may move two squares, but it can't escape being captured that way.
Did you know?
- En passant is French and means roughly “in passing.”
- It is the only capture in chess where the capturing piece doesn't land on the square where the captured piece stood.
- Only pawns can capture en passant, and only pawns can be captured that way.
- A chance to capture en passant counts when you decide whether a position has been repeated. Read more under draws.
Frequently asked questions
What does en passant mean?
En passant is French for “in passing”: the pawn is captured as it passes by.
When can you capture en passant?
When your opponent's pawn has just moved two squares from its starting square and landed next to your pawn on the same rank. You may then capture it as if it had moved only one square, but only on the very next move.
Is en passant compulsory?
No, you choose. It is an ordinary move like any other, but if you wait a move, the chance is gone.
Can pieces other than pawns capture en passant?
No. Only a pawn can capture en passant, and only a pawn that has just moved two squares can be captured that way.
Updated October 28, 2026
The starting position. Press ▶ or use the arrow keys.