<p><strong>En Passant</strong> is when an opponent's pawn is two ranks away from your pawn row (either 4th or 5th rank depending on color), and you move your pawn two spaces forward with one move, so that is is next to his pawn.  You are allowed to make your first move with a pawn two spaces, but the <strong>En Passant</strong> capture allows your opponent to capture you just as if you had moved one space.  Note, that this capture is only allowed as the very next move.  This prevents you from being able to sneak pawns by your opponent's pawns.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UXhZu.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>It's not only useful, but chess would be a completely different game without it, since everyone would have to be very concerned about moving a pawn to the 4th or 5th rank, knowing that a pawn could get past them.  The main way you could change it so that the game wouldn't change radically is to disallow 2-space moves by pawns, but that is still a substantial change from the way's it been*, and would eliminate the majority of standard openings. A less tumultuous change would be to simply prohibit double movement in the cases where an en passant capture would be possible. This would have almost the same exact effect as the en passant rule, since it happens more often that the threat of an en passant capture is enough to make an opponent not move two spaces, and actual uses of the move are rare.</p>

<p>* unless you go back to the 15th century, when the ability to move pawns two spaces was <strong>added</strong> to the game.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-04T05:01:18.017Z
I somewhat disagree with: "A less tumultuous change would be to simply prohibit double movement in the cases where an en passant capture would be possible. This would have almost the same exact effect as the en passant rule" - it might be used as a tactic to force someone to an en passant, correct?
Neel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-25T22:05:32.740Z
Can other chess pieces (a bishop, queen, or king) use the en passant rule to capture an opponent's pawn which has advanced two squares, or is the rule limited to pawns?
RobertF
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-25T22:51:00.730Z
@RobertF, it is limited to pawns.
Lance Roberts
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-11T17:29:34.163Z
It's worth noting that if pawns were only allowed to move one space at any time, the en passant rule wouldn't be required, and chess would still be the same game (albeit slower).
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-11T17:29:59.733Z
Also, you should explain that you can only make this move on the turn immediately following a two-square pawn move.
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-11T17:33:45.543Z
@ire, both good points, I'll edit the answer.
Lance Roberts
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-11T22:18:04.127Z
Great answer. I think that this move must be used very seldom, since its primary value is as a sort of preventive threat.
Andrew Vandever
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-12T07:08:46.293Z
It's interesting to note that pawns used to be restricted to single space moves - and consequently there was no en passant rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_%28chess%29#History
tttppp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-19T15:25:38.247Z
@Andrew Vandever: It is rare, but definitely important, like promoting a pawn (queen isn't always the right answer).
Andy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-20T00:36:25.287Z
@Andy: excellent point.
Andrew Vandever
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-11T15:53:03.853Z
2016-01-25T22:53:13.550Z
2016-01-25T22:53:13.550Z
Lance Roberts
<p>How useful is that rule and how many times we can use that in one game?</p>

<p>Under what conditions can the en passant rule be used?</p>

<p>How often does it come up and is it a good idea to use it?</p>

<chess>
What is the "En passant" rule in chess?
Chandresh
# What is the "En passant" rule in chess?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-05-11)

How useful is that rule and how many times we can use that in one game?

Under what conditions can the en passant rule be used?

How often does it come up and is it a good idea to use it?

**Tags:** chess


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-05-11. Score: 32 | Accepted answer

**En Passant** is when an opponent's pawn is two ranks away from your pawn row (either 4th or 5th rank depending on color), and you move your pawn two spaces forward with one move, so that is is next to his pawn. You are allowed to make your first move with a pawn two spaces, but the **En Passant** capture allows your opponent to capture you just as if you had moved one space. Note, that this capture is only allowed as the very next move. This prevents you from being able to sneak pawns by your opponent's pawns.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/UXhZu.png)

It's not only useful, but chess would be a completely different game without it, since everyone would have to be very concerned about moving a pawn to the 4th or 5th rank, knowing that a pawn could get past them. The main way you could change it so that the game wouldn't change radically is to disallow 2-space moves by pawns, but that is still a substantial change from the way's it been\*, and would eliminate the majority of standard openings. A less tumultuous change would be to simply prohibit double movement in the cases where an en passant capture would be possible. This would have almost the same exact effect as the en passant rule, since it happens more often that the threat of an en passant capture is enough to make an opponent not move two spaces, and actual uses of the move are rare.

\* unless you go back to the 15th century, when the ability to move pawns two spaces was **added** to the game.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: It's worth noting that if pawns were only allowed to move one space at any time, the en passant rule wouldn't be required, and chess would still be the same game (albeit slower).  
> **username_4**: Also, you should explain that you can only make this move on the turn immediately following a two-square pawn move.  
> **username_1**: @ire, both good points, I'll edit the answer.  
> **username_5**: Great answer. I think that this move must be used very seldom, since its primary value is as a sort of preventive threat.  
> **username_6**: It's interesting to note that pawns used to be restricted to single space moves - and consequently there was no en passant rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_%28chess%29#History  
> **username_7**: @username_5: It is rare, but definitely important, like promoting a pawn (queen isn't always the right answer).  
> **username_5**: @username_7: excellent point.  
> **username_2**: I somewhat disagree with: "A less tumultuous change would be to simply prohibit double movement in the cases where an en passant capture would be possible. This would have almost the same exact effect as the en passant rule" - it might be used as a tactic to force someone to an en passant, correct?  
> **username_3**: Can other chess pieces (a bishop, queen, or king) use the en passant rule to capture an opponent's pawn which has advanced two squares, or is the rule limited to pawns?  
> **username_1**: @username_3, it is limited to pawns.  

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