En Passant
En passant is a special pawn capture. En passant captures a pawn that just moved two squares as if it had moved only one square.
En passant for White
White pawn is on e5 and Black pawn has just moved from d7 to d5. White may capture on d6, and the Black pawn on d5 is removed.
FEN: 4k3/8/8/3pP3/8/8/8/4K3 w - d6 0 1
a b c d e f g h
8 . . . . k . . . 8
7 . . . . . . . . 7
6 . . . . . . . . 6
5 . . . p P . . . 5
4 . . . . . . . . 4
3 . . . . . . . . 3
2 . . . . . . . . 2
1 . . . . K . . . 1
a b c d e f g hEn passant for Black
Black pawn is on e4 and White pawn has just moved from d2 to d4. Black may capture on d3, and the White pawn on d4 is removed.
FEN: 4k3/8/8/8/3Pp3/8/8/4K3 b - d3 0 1
a b c d e f g h
8 . . . . k . . . 8
7 . . . . . . . . 7
6 . . . . . . . . 6
5 . . . . . . . . 5
4 . . . P p . . . 4
3 . . . . . . . . 3
2 . . . . . . . . 2
1 . . . . K . . . 1
a b c d e f g hEn passant is gone after one move
The same pieces stand on the board, but no en passant square is given. White may no longer capture on d6, because the chance has passed.
FEN: 4k3/8/8/3pP3/8/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1
a b c d e f g h
8 . . . . k . . . 8
7 . . . . . . . . 7
6 . . . . . . . . 6
5 . . . p P . . . 5
4 . . . . . . . . 4
3 . . . . . . . . 3
2 . . . . . . . . 2
1 . . . . K . . . 1
a b c d e f g hKey points
- En passant is possible only on the move right after the enemy pawn moves two squares.
- The capturing pawn must stand on the fifth rank for White or the fourth rank for Black.
- The capturing pawn must stand next to the pawn that just moved two squares.
- The capturing pawn moves diagonally to the square behind the pawn that just moved.
- The pawn that just moved is removed from the board. En passant is the only capture in which the captured piece is not on the landing square.
Try it Yourself
Edit the code, then press Run.
Running is simulated · Rust Playground
Exercise
White pawn is on e5 and Black pawn just moved from d7 to d5. Which move captures en passant?