En Passant in Chess: Rules and Examples

The four conditions for en passant

An en-passant capture is legal only when all four conditions are satisfied:

1. The opposing pawn has just moved two squares in a single move from its starting square.
2. It finishes directly beside your pawn on the same rank.
3. Your pawn could have captured it if it had advanced only one square.
4. You make the capture on the immediately following move.

If you play any other move, the right disappears. A later return to a similar-looking position does not restore it.

How the capture works

Suppose White has a pawn on e5 and Black has just played d7–d5. White may play exd6 en passant:

• the White pawn moves diagonally from e5 to d6;
• the Black pawn on d5 is removed; and
• d6, not d5, is the capturing pawn's destination.

For Black, the pattern is mirrored. A Black pawn on e4 could capture a White pawn that has just moved d2–d4 by playing exd3 en passant.

Why the rule exists

The initial two-square pawn move was added to speed development. Without en passant, a pawn could use that privilege to pass an enemy pawn's normal capture square safely. The special rule preserves the neighboring pawn's immediate ability to capture.

En passant is optional. You may choose another legal move, but then the opportunity expires.

Which ranks can use en passant?

A White pawn must be on its fifth rank—rank 5—to make the capture. A Black pawn must be on its own fifth rank from its perspective—rank 4 on the board. Review the ordinary pawn movement rules before applying the exception.

The moving pawn must begin on its starting rank: rank 7 for Black or rank 2 for White. A pawn that moves only one square beside your pawn does not create an en-passant right because it already occupies the ordinary capture square relationship.

En passant and king safety

The move must obey every ordinary legality rule. Removing two pawns from their original squares can open a file, rank, or diagonal. If that newly opened line exposes your own king to check, the en-passant capture is illegal.

For example, imagine your king and an enemy rook share a rank, with the two adjacent pawns currently blocking the rook. An en-passant capture can remove both blockers from that rank. If the rook then attacks your king, you may not play the capture.

The reverse can also happen: en passant may be the legal way to answer a check or create a discovered check. Always rebuild the complete position after removing the captured pawn.

How en passant is written

In algebraic notation, write it like a normal pawn capture: origin file, x, and destination square. White's e5 pawn capturing on d6 is exd6. The optional suffix e.p. may be added in explanatory text, but it is not normally required in a game score.

In FEN, the en-passant field records the target square associated with a two-square pawn move. The FEN position guide explains why this state must be stored separately from piece placement.

A step-by-step legality check

When you see adjacent opposing pawns, ask:

1. What was the opponent's immediately previous move?
2. Did that pawn travel two squares from its starting rank?
3. What square did it pass over?
4. Can my pawn move diagonally onto that passed-over square?
5. After removing the opposing pawn, is my king safe?

If the move history is unknown, the board alone may not prove that en passant is available. This is similar to castling rights: history matters.

Strategic reasons to capture or decline

Capturing en passant can:

• remove a central pawn before it supports more space;
• open a file for a rook;
• create a passed pawn;
• open a diagonal or rank; or
• change the pawn structure before it becomes fixed.

Declining can be better when the capture opens a dangerous line, abandons an important square, or moves your pawn away from a useful blockade. The move is a right, not an obligation.

Common en-passant mistakes

• Trying to capture after waiting one or more moves.
• Using the rule after a pawn advanced only one square.
• Capturing with a pawn that is not directly adjacent.
• Placing the capturing pawn on the captured pawn's square rather than the passed-over square.
• Forgetting to remove the pawn that moved two squares.
• Playing en passant when it exposes your own king.
• Assuming the position alone always proves the move history.

Practice exercise

Set up a White pawn on e5 and a Black pawn on d7. Play d7–d5 and execute exd6. Reset, then insert a rook whose line opens when the pawns disappear. Decide whether the same capture remains legal when the White king is on that line.

Frequently asked questions

Is en passant mandatory?

No. It is an optional capture. If you choose another move, however, the opportunity expires.

Can en passant happen more than once in a game?

Yes. Any number of separate en-passant opportunities may occur if the required positions and immediately preceding two-square pawn moves arise.

Can en passant capture a piece other than a pawn?

No. Only a pawn that has just advanced two squares can be captured en passant, and only an adjacent opposing pawn can make the capture.

Can en passant give checkmate?

Yes. Because the move changes two pawn locations and can open a line, it can give check or even checkmate if the final position satisfies the normal conditions.

Browse the beginner chess lessons for the other special rules.

Rules reference: FIDE Laws of Chess, Article 3.7.3.