What is en passant in Chess?

Chess is known for its strategy and tactics which can make it a complicated game at times. If you are a beginner, you may have already learned about some of the most common tactics, such as pinning down pieces with your bishop or forking two pieces with your knight. 

While many players are familiar with the common moves like castling or pawn promotion, en passant is much rarer to come across in Chess. This unique pawn capture rule adds an extra layer of complexity to the game, and mastering it can be crucial in higher-level play. In this blog, we’ll explore what en passant is, when to use it, and its historical origins.

What is En Passant in Chess?

En passant, French for “in passing,” is a unique form of pawn capture in Chess. The conditions of it are highly specific. The rule comes into play when a pawn moves two squares forward from its starting position, landing right next to an opposing pawn. In this situation, the opponent has the option to capture the pawn as if you had only moved your pawn one square forward.

This can be a complicated situation to understand, so let’s give an example (seen above)! Imagine that a white pawn moves from d2 to d4. If Black has their pawn on c4, they can capture the White’s pawn by moving diagonally onto the d3 square, even though the White pawn isn’t on that square.

This move is unique because it is the only form of capture in Chess where you are not taking a piece by going to the square that the enemy piece is placed on. While it is an odd concept, you will get used to it eventually. It is important to specify that the capture must occur immediately on the next move, or else the opportunity is lost.

While en passant may seem like a peculiar rule at first, it’s designed to prevent pawns from using the two-square advance to avoid getting captured and disrupting the balance of the game. It’s a small but essential part of ensuring fairness and maintaining the strategic depth of pawn structure in Chess.

When to Use en passant

Using en passant isn’t just a weird quirk that you should look to use at every opportunity. There is a real use for it. However, knowing when to use this rule is not always obvious. We have some general tips for when to use it, but you will have to use your situational awareness in order to make the correct decision.

Controlling the center

One of the main reasons for using the en passant rule is to stop your opponent from gaining too much center control with their pawn. Remember, one of the most important strategies in Chess is to gain control of the center. If your opponent is trying to push their pawn right past you, then using the en passant move can be very useful.

Psyching your opponent out

Of course, the psychological aspect of en passant is a real component. Sometimes opponents will be thrown off by your decision, especially if they are a newer player who isn’t aware of the rule. However, will be less effective against veterans of the game who are already well aware of the rule.

Origins of en passant

The origins of en passant trace back to the evolution of chess in Europe sometime between the 14th and 15th centuries. During this time, players were newly allowed to push their pawns up two squares at a time if they hadn’t moved yet. This made the game faster and more dynamic.

That being said, there was one issue — pawns were now able to bypass enemy pawns that might have captured them. This means that important exchanges could be avoided altogether by simply moving up two squares. 

The en passant rule allowed players to continue having these pawn conflicts, even if one pawn could skip right past the other by moving two squares. This is a testament to how even one of the oldest games has room to grow and improve upon itself.

So now that you have learned what en passant is, make sure to look for ways to use it in your next game of Chess. No more skipping past pawns, it’s time to get down to some real conflict and pawn-on-pawn pandemonium.