En passant
Encyclopedia
En passant is a move in the board game
of chess
. It is a special pawn capture which can occur immediately after a player moves a pawn
two squares forward from its starting position, and an enemy pawn could have captured it had it moved only one square forward. The opponent captures the just-moved pawn as if taking it "as it passes" through the first square. The resulting position is the same as if the pawn had moved only one square forward and the enemy pawn had captured normally.
The en passant capture must be done on the very next turn, or the right to do so is lost. Such a move is the only occasion in chess in which a piece captures but does not move to the square of the captured piece. If an en passant capture is the only legal move available, it must be made. En passant capture is a common theme in chess compositions.
This rule
was added in the 15th century when the rule giving pawns the option of initially moving two squares was introduced. It prevents a pawn from using the two-square advance to pass an adjacent enemy pawn without the risk of being captured.
Such a move is the only occasion in chess in which a piece captures but does not move to the square of the captured piece .
, and the unlimited range for queen
s and bishop
s . Spanish master
Ruy López de Segura gives the rule in his 1561 book Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez
. In most places the en passant rule was adopted as soon as the rule allowing the pawn to move two squares on its first move, but it was not universally accepted until the Italian rules were changed in 1880 .
The motivation for en passant was to prevent the newly added two-square first move for pawns from allowing a pawn to evade capture by an enemy pawn. Specifically, the rule allows a pawn on a player's fifth rank the opportunity to capture the opponent's pawn on an adjacent file that advances two squares on its first move as though it had advanced only one square . Asian chess variant
s, because of their separation from European chess prior to that period, do not feature any of these moves.
or descriptive chess notation
, en passant captures are sometimes denoted by "e.p." or similar, but such notation is not required. In algebraic notation, the move is written as if the captured pawn just advanced only one square, e.g., bxa3 (or bxa3 e.p.) in this example .
by threefold repetition
. Two positions whose pieces are all on the same squares, with the same player to move, are considered different if there was an opportunity to make an en passant capture in the first position, because that opportunity by definition no longer exists the second time the same configuration of pieces occurs .
In his book about chess organization and rules, International Arbiter
Kenneth Harkness
wrote that it is frequently asked if an en passant capture must be made if it is the only move to get out of stalemate
. This point was debated in the 19th century, with some arguing that the right to make an en passant capture is a "privilege" that one cannot be compelled to exercise. In his 1860 book Chess Praxis, Howard Staunton
wrote that the en passant capture is mandatory in that instance.
The rules of chess
were amended to make this clear . Today, it is settled that the player must make that move (or resign). The same is true if an en passant capture is the only move to get out of check .
s. In this line from Petrov's Defence
, White can capture the pawn on d5 en passant on his sixth move.
Another example occurs in the French Defense after 1.e4 e6 2.e5, a move once advocated by Wilhelm Steinitz
. If Black responds with 2...d5, White can capture the pawn en passant with 3.exd6. Likewise, White can answer 2...f5 with 3.exf6.
Black
has just moved his pawn from f7 to f5 in this game between Gunnar Gundersen
and Albert H. Faul. White
could capture the f-pawn en passant with his e-pawn, but had a different idea:
Note that the bishop on c1 actually effects the check on the king, via a discovered check.
The en passant capture places Black in double check
from White's rook on h1 and bishop on c1. Since Black cannot parry both checks at once, and his last route of escape, moving to g7, is blocked by White's knight at e6, he is checkmate
d.
The largest known number of en passant captures in one game is three, shared by three games; in none of them were all three captures by the same player. The earliest known example is a 1980 game between Alexandru Sorin Segal and Karl Heinz Podzielny .
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. It is a special pawn capture which can occur immediately after a player moves a pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
two squares forward from its starting position, and an enemy pawn could have captured it had it moved only one square forward. The opponent captures the just-moved pawn as if taking it "as it passes" through the first square. The resulting position is the same as if the pawn had moved only one square forward and the enemy pawn had captured normally.
The en passant capture must be done on the very next turn, or the right to do so is lost. Such a move is the only occasion in chess in which a piece captures but does not move to the square of the captured piece. If an en passant capture is the only legal move available, it must be made. En passant capture is a common theme in chess compositions.
This rule
Rules of chess
The rules of chess are rules governing the play of the game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, modern rules first took form during the Middle Ages. The rules continued to be slightly modified until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form. The...
was added in the 15th century when the rule giving pawns the option of initially moving two squares was introduced. It prevents a pawn from using the two-square advance to pass an adjacent enemy pawn without the risk of being captured.
The rule
A pawn on its fifth rank may capture an enemy pawn on an adjacent file that has moved two squares in a single move, as if the pawn had moved only one square. The conditions are:- the capturing pawn must be on its fifth rank
- the captured pawn must be on an adjacent file and move two squares in a single move
- the capture is optional, but if elected must be done immediately (cannot be done on a later turn)
Such a move is the only occasion in chess in which a piece captures but does not move to the square of the captured piece .
Historical context
Allowing the en passant capture is one of the last major rule changes in European chess that occurred between 1200 and 1600, together with the introduction of the two-square first move for pawns, castlingCastling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
, and the unlimited range for queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
s and bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
s . Spanish master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
Ruy López de Segura gives the rule in his 1561 book Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez
Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez
Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez is one of the first books published about modern chess in Europe, after Pedro Damiano's 1512 book. It was written by Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura in 1561 and published in Alcalá de Henares.-Details:In 1560 Ruy López visited Rome and...
. In most places the en passant rule was adopted as soon as the rule allowing the pawn to move two squares on its first move, but it was not universally accepted until the Italian rules were changed in 1880 .
The motivation for en passant was to prevent the newly added two-square first move for pawns from allowing a pawn to evade capture by an enemy pawn. Specifically, the rule allows a pawn on a player's fifth rank the opportunity to capture the opponent's pawn on an adjacent file that advances two squares on its first move as though it had advanced only one square . Asian chess variant
Chess variant
A chess variant is a game related to, derived from or inspired by chess. The difference from chess might include one or more of the following:...
s, because of their separation from European chess prior to that period, do not feature any of these moves.
Notation
In either algebraicAlgebraic chess notation
Algebraic notation is a method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess. It is now standard among all chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers...
or descriptive chess notation
Descriptive chess notation
Descriptive notation is a notation for recording chess games, and at one time was the most popular notation in English-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries , . It was used in Europe until it was superseded by abbreviated algebraic notation, which was introduced by Philipp Stamma in 1737...
, en passant captures are sometimes denoted by "e.p." or similar, but such notation is not required. In algebraic notation, the move is written as if the captured pawn just advanced only one square, e.g., bxa3 (or bxa3 e.p.) in this example .
Threefold repetition and stalemate
The possibility of an en passant capture has an effect on claiming a drawDraw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
by threefold repetition
Threefold repetition
In chess and some other abstract strategy games, the threefold repetition rule states that a player can claim a draw if the same position occurs three times, or will occur after their next move, with the same player to move. The repeated positions need not occur in succession...
. Two positions whose pieces are all on the same squares, with the same player to move, are considered different if there was an opportunity to make an en passant capture in the first position, because that opportunity by definition no longer exists the second time the same configuration of pieces occurs .
In his book about chess organization and rules, International Arbiter
International Arbiter
In chess, International Arbiter is a title awarded by FIDE to individuals deemed capable of acting as arbiter in important chess matches . The title was established in 1951....
Kenneth Harkness
Kenneth Harkness
Kenneth Harkness was a chess organizer. He is the creator of the Harkness rating system.-Life and career:...
wrote that it is frequently asked if an en passant capture must be made if it is the only move to get out of stalemate
Stalemate
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
. This point was debated in the 19th century, with some arguing that the right to make an en passant capture is a "privilege" that one cannot be compelled to exercise. In his 1860 book Chess Praxis, Howard Staunton
Howard Staunton
Howard Staunton was an English chess master who is generally regarded as having been the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Saint-Amant. He promoted a chess set of clearly distinguishable pieces of standardised shape—the Staunton pattern—that...
wrote that the en passant capture is mandatory in that instance.
The rules of chess
Rules of chess
The rules of chess are rules governing the play of the game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, modern rules first took form during the Middle Ages. The rules continued to be slightly modified until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form. The...
were amended to make this clear . Today, it is settled that the player must make that move (or resign). The same is true if an en passant capture is the only move to get out of check .
In the opening
There are some examples of en passant in chess openingChess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
s. In this line from Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
, White can capture the pawn on d5 en passant on his sixth move.
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nf6
- 3. d4 exd4
- 4. e5 Ne4
- 5. Qxd4 d5 (diagram)
- 6. exd6 .
Another example occurs in the French Defense after 1.e4 e6 2.e5, a move once advocated by Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
. If Black responds with 2...d5, White can capture the pawn en passant with 3.exd6. Likewise, White can answer 2...f5 with 3.exf6.
Unusual examples
Black
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
has just moved his pawn from f7 to f5 in this game between Gunnar Gundersen
Gunnar Gundersen (chess player)
Gunnar Gundersen was an Australian chess master.Born in Bordeaux, France, he was raised in Melbourne, Australia, where his Norwegian father was the Scandinavian consul. Gundersen started to play chess at his first year of study at Melbourne University in 1902...
and Albert H. Faul. White
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
could capture the f-pawn en passant with his e-pawn, but had a different idea:
- 13. h5+ Kh6
- 14. Nxe6+ g5
Note that the bishop on c1 actually effects the check on the king, via a discovered check.
- 15. hxg6 e.p. #
The en passant capture places Black in double check
Double check
In chess, a double check is a check delivered by two pieces at the same time. In chess notation, it is often symbolized by "++".-Discussion:...
from White's rook on h1 and bishop on c1. Since Black cannot parry both checks at once, and his last route of escape, moving to g7, is blocked by White's knight at e6, he is checkmate
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
d.
The largest known number of en passant captures in one game is three, shared by three games; in none of them were all three captures by the same player. The earliest known example is a 1980 game between Alexandru Sorin Segal and Karl Heinz Podzielny .
In chess compositions
En passant captures have often been used as a theme in chess compositions, as they "produce striking effects in the opening and closing of lines" . In the 1938 composition by Kenneth S. Howard, the key move 1. d4 introduces the threat of 2.d5+ cxd5 3.Bxd5#. Black may capture the d4-pawn en passant in either of two ways:- The capture 1... exd3 e.p. shifts the e4-pawn from the e- to the d-file, preventing an en passant capture after White plays 2. f4. To stop the threatened mate (3.f5#), Black may advance 2... f5, but this allows White to play 3. exf6 e.p. with checkmate due to the decisive opening of the .
- If Black plays 1... cxd3 e.p., White exploits the newly opened a2–g8 diagonal with 2. Qa2+ d5 3. cxd6 e.p.#.