Short answer: en passant is a special pawn capture. If an enemy pawn moves two squares forward and lands right next to your pawn, you can capture it as if it had moved only one square. You must do it on your very next move, or the chance is gone.
The name is French for "in passing", because your pawn catches the other pawn as it goes by. It is the rule that surprises beginners most. Many adults who have played for years have never heard of it, and plenty of arguments at the kitchen table end with someone looking it up.
How en passant works
Watch the board. Black pushes a pawn two squares, trying to slip past the white pawn. White captures it anyway.
Black plays d7 to d5. White's pawn on e5 captures it by moving to d6, the square the black pawn jumped over.
Look closely at the last step. The white pawn does not land on the square of the pawn it captures. It lands on the square that pawn skipped over. That is the only capture in chess that works this way.
The three conditions
En passant is allowed only when all three are true:
- Your pawn is on its fifth row. That is the fifth rank for White, and the fourth rank for Black.
- An enemy pawn moves two squares in one go, from its starting square, and lands right next to your pawn.
- You capture on the very next move. If you play anything else, the right disappears.
Only pawns can capture en passant, and only pawns can be captured this way.
Why does this rule exist?
Pawns once moved only one square at a time. When the two-square first move was added, centuries ago, a pawn could suddenly run past an enemy pawn that would otherwise have captured it. En passant was added to keep that fair: you may still capture the pawn, as though it had taken a single step.
Try it
Black has just played a pawn from d7 to d5. It is White's move. Capture it en passant.
Task: White's pawn on e5 captures en passant by moving to d6.
Mistakes people make
- Waiting a move. The capture is only available right away. One move later it is gone for good.
- Trying it against a pawn that moved one square. It only works on a two-square move.
- Trying it against a pawn that got there in two steps. One step, then another, does not count.
- Trying it with another piece. A bishop or a knight cannot capture en passant.
- Putting the pawn on the wrong square. Yours lands behind the enemy pawn, not on it.
Should you teach en passant to a young child?
Not in the first weeks. It rarely comes up, and it adds a lot to remember. Teach how the pieces move, check and checkmate, then castling, and bring en passant in once your child is playing full games. Our guide to how to teach a child chess suggests an order.
If your child plays on Lichess or ChessKid, the site will show the capture as a legal move, so they may discover it by accident. When they do, ask them to explain it to you. Children remember what they explain.
FAQ
Is en passant forced?
Normally no. You can choose. The only exception is the same as for any move: if it is your only legal move, you have to play it.
Can you capture en passant to get out of check?
Yes, if the pawn that just moved is the piece giving check, or if the capture blocks the check.
Can a king capture en passant?
No. Only a pawn can.
How do you write en passant down?
Like any pawn capture, for example exd6. Some players add "e.p." at the end.
How often does en passant happen?
Not very often. It is a real rule all the same, and it turns up at the worst moment in a tournament game if you do not know it.
Do online chess sites allow en passant?
Yes. Every serious chess site and app follows the same rules.
What comes next
En passant is one of three special moves. The others are promotion and castling. The rest is in our chess rules for beginners.
Rules like this are easier with someone to ask. The first lesson is free and one to one, live online. Book the free first lesson