--- title: "En passant in chess: the rule explained with an example" description: "En passant in chess: when a pawn may capture a pawn that moved two squares past it, an example on e5 and d5, notation and common questions. Play chess free." url: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/en-passant/ canonical: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/en-passant/ type: zasady language: en author: klyo organization: Klyo Illia Krasnopolskyi (NIP 7822656871), Łódź, Poland contact: kontakt@klyo.pl updated: 2026-10-18 llms: https://games.klyo.pl/llms.txt --- # En passant En passant is a special pawn capture. When an opponent's pawn moves two squares from its starting square and lands right next to your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square. You may do this only on the very next move. [Play chess](https://games.klyo.pl/chess/) [All game rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/) - [![Szachy: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-szachy-800.041d5151.webp) 10–30 min **Chess** 2 player 10–30 min Online, vs computer, 2 player and puzzles.](https://games.klyo.pl/chess/) ## In short 1. Only a pawn captures, and only a pawn. 2. The opponent's pawn must move two squares from its starting square. 3. It must land right next to your pawn on the same rank. 4. Your pawn moves to the square the opponent's pawn skipped. 5. You must capture right away, on the next move, or the chance is gone. ## What does en passant look like in an example? A white pawn stands on e5. Black moves a pawn from d7 to d5, two squares, and it lands next to it. On the next move the white pawn may capture it en passant: it moves from e5 to d6, and the black pawn on d5 leaves the board. In chess notation it is written exd6 e.p. *The black pawn moved from d7 to d5, next to the white pawn on e5. White captures en passant: the pawn goes to d6 and the pawn on d5 leaves the board.* ## When is en passant possible? - Your pawn stands on the fifth rank when you play White, or on the fourth rank when you play Black. - An opponent's pawn from the neighbouring file has just moved two squares and landed next to yours. - You capture right away, on your next move. - After the capture your king may not be left in check, as after any move. ## Why does en passant exist? The two square pawn move was added to chess to speed up the game. Without en passant, though, a pawn could slip past an opposing pawn that guarded the square it skipped. En passant keeps that right: the pawn can be captured as if it had made an ordinary one square move. ## Is en passant compulsory? No. It is an ordinary option you may use or not. The only exception is the same as for any move: if en passant is the only way out of check, or the only legal move, you have to play it. ## Play Chess for free You know the rules, now play. Chess runs free in your browser, on a phone and a computer, with nothing to install and no account. [Play chess](https://games.klyo.pl/chess/) [![Szachy: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-szachy-800.041d5151.webp)](https://games.klyo.pl/chess/) ## Read next - **[Chess rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/)**: Chess is a game for two players on an 8 by 8 board. - **[Castling in chess](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/castling/)**: Castling is the move in which the king moves two squares towards a rook and the rook jumps over it to stand right next to it. - **[Stalemate in chess](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/stalemate/)**: Stalemate is when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move. - **[Chess openings for beginners](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/openings/)**: The opening is the first phase of a game. ## Similar free games - [![Nardy: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-nardy-800.54bfde89.webp) new **Backgammon** 2 player Online vs computer or 2 player.](https://games.klyo.pl/backgammon/) - [![Statki: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-statki-800.861079ed.webp) 5–10 min **Sea Battle** Board 5–10 min Battleship game online for free: play the computer, a friend or by link.](https://games.klyo.pl/statki/) - [![Kółko i krzyżyk: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-kolko-i-krzyzyk-800.d594bf13.webp) new 30 s–1 min **Tic Tac Toe** Puzzle 30 s–1 min Vs computer, with a friend or online.](https://games.klyo.pl/tic-tac-toe/) - [![Mahjong Sanctuary: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-mahjong-sanctuary-800.e8ff51f5.webp) 5–15 min **Mahjong Sanctuary** Puzzle 5–15 min Mahjong Solitaire, daily board.](https://games.klyo.pl/mahjong/) ## Rules of other games - ![Sudoku: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-sudoku-2-480.e9b513a7.webp) **[Sudoku rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/sudoku/)** - ![Pasjans Klondike: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-pasjans-klondike-480.04d31a38.webp) **[How to play solitaire](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/solitaire/)** - ![Saper: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-saper-480.2f9ac47d.webp) **[How to play Minesweeper](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/minesweeper/)** - ![Warcaby: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Rasalhague](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-warcaby-480.26d6a73f.webp) **[Checkers rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/checkers/)** - ![Kółko i krzyżyk: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-kolko-i-krzyzyk-480.50e8a2d8.webp) **[How to win at Tic Tac Toe](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/tic-tac-toe/)** - ![Mahjong Sanctuary: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-mahjong-sanctuary-480.8437fb0c.webp) **[Mahjong rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/mahjong/)** - ![Pasjans Pająk: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-pasjans-pajak-480.a79add80.webp) **[Spider Solitaire rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/spider-solitaire/)** - ![Pasjans FreeCell: gra w przeglądarce od twórcy Klyo](https://games.klyo.pl/foto/zrzut-gra-pasjans-freecell-480.681af1e1.webp) **[FreeCell rules](https://games.klyo.pl/rules/freecell/)** --- Source: https://games.klyo.pl/rules/chess/en-passant/ · Built and run by klyo, a Polish technology company (Łódź) · Contact: kontakt@klyo.pl · Index for language models: https://games.klyo.pl/llms.txt