# En Passant Explained: The Pawn Capture Rule Canonical: https://chesswitch.com/blog/en-passant-explained Publisher: [Chesswitch](https://chesswitch.com/about) Published: 2026-11-09 Updated: 2026-11-09 ## Quick answer En passant is an optional pawn capture available only immediately after an opposing pawn moves two squares from its starting rank and lands beside your pawn. White captures from rank 5, Black from rank 4, moving diagonally to the square crossed while removing the adjacent pawn. The move must still leave your king safe. En passant is a special pawn capture that is legal only for one reply. It appears when a pawn uses its two-square first move to pass the square where an opposing pawn could have captured it. The capturing pawn moves diagonally to that passed-over square; the pawn that jumped is removed from the adjacent square. This guide separates the geometry from the decision: confirm the last move, confirm the ranks, then decide whether the optional capture actually helps your position. ## Board example Practice position Complete practice position: Black has just played b7–b5 beside White’s pawn on c5. White may consider cxb6 e.p.; the b5 pawn is removed. Position: Complete sparse en passant practice position from the browser game. Move history is required: the black pawn must have just moved two squares from b7 to b5. Side to move: White Pieces: white king on g1; white pawn on c5; black king on g8; black pawn on b5 ## The exact geometry of en passant White may capture en passant only with a pawn on rank 5; Black only with a pawn on rank 4. The opposing pawn must have just moved two squares from its starting rank—White from rank 2 to rank 4, or Black from rank 7 to rank 5—and must finish directly beside the capturing pawn. The capture is made on the very next turn. The move is unusual because the victim and destination differ. The capturing pawn moves one file diagonally forward to the square the two-square pawn crossed, while the just-moved pawn is removed from its landing square. The capture is optional. It must also be an ordinary legal move: your king cannot be left in check. ## A four-question legality check When a pawn lands beside yours, do not rely on the picture alone. Reconstruct the previous move: was it a two-square move from the home rank, or did the pawn arrive after an earlier move? Check these four questions: - Is my pawn on rank 5 (White) or rank 4 (Black)? - Did the opponent’s pawn move two squares in one move and land next to mine? - What square did it pass over? That is where my pawn must land. - Does the resulting position leave my king safe? ## Try the capture from both sides Take this compact position: White has a pawn on c5, and Black has a pawn on b7. Black plays b7-b5. White may play cxb6 en passant: the White pawn goes from c5 to b6, while the Black pawn on b5 is removed. The move is recorded with the landing square, so b6—not b5—is the destination. If White plays something else, the special right is gone. Now view the same rule from Black’s side. Black’s pawn is on d4; White has a pawn on e2 and plays e2-e4. Black can answer dxe3 en passant, moving to e3 and removing the White pawn from e4. If White had played e2-e3, or if the White pawn had arrived on e4 earlier, Black would not have this capture. These are board fragments: check the full position for pins and king safety before moving. ## Practice positions with answers Set up each fragment, cover the answers, and say both whether the special right exists and where the capturing pawn lands. The aim is to track move history as carefully as the coordinates. - White pawn c5; Black just played b7-b5. Answer: cxb6 e.p. is legal if the full move is legal; White lands on b6 and the pawn from b5 is removed. - Black pawn d4; White just played e2-e4. Answer: dxe3 e.p.; Black lands on e3 and White’s pawn on e4 is removed. - White pawn c5; Black just played b6-b5. Answer: en passant is not available because Black moved one square; c5 cannot capture a pawn on b5 by moving to b6. - White pawn c5; Black played b7-b5 two turns ago. Answer: the right expired after White’s next move; cxb6 is no longer en passant. - All the geometry is present, but White’s king would be exposed after cxb6. Answer: the capture is illegal because en passant must still obey king-safety rules; choose a legal alternative. ## Try it yourself Practice position: locate the en passant square Say the destination and the removed pawn before opening the answer. Practice prompt: Black has just played b7–b5, with White’s pawn on c5. Where does White’s pawn land if the optional capture is legal? Answer: White plays cxb6 e.p.: the capturing pawn lands on b6, the square Black’s pawn crossed, and the Black pawn on b5 is removed. The right expires after this turn and still depends on king safety. Practice this position: [Open practice](https://play.chesswitch.com/?lang=en&practice=en-passant) ## Questions and answers ### When does en passant expire? It expires if you choose another move; it is available only on the very next turn after the two-square pawn move. If the pawn moved one square or arrived earlier, no en passant capture exists. ### Where does the capturing pawn land in en passant? The capturing pawn lands on the square the opposing pawn crossed, not the square occupied by the captured pawn. For example, c5xb6 removes a pawn that just moved b7–b5. Further reading: [Chess.com: En Passant](https://www.chess.com/terms/en-passant) ## Keep learning - [How to Play Chess: A Beginner’s Guide](https://chesswitch.com/blog/how-to-play-chess) - [Chess Opening Principles for Beginners](https://chesswitch.com/blog/chess-opening-principles-for-beginners) - [Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate Explained](https://chesswitch.com/blog/check-checkmate-stalemate) About the game: [What is Chesswitch?](https://chesswitch.com/about) Editorial policy: https://chesswitch.com/editorial Play chess: https://play.chesswitch.com/?lang=en&practice=en-passant