Here we'll look at pawn capturing En Passant. Follow along with the left and right arrows under the chessboard or click on the highlighted moves to see the game progress on the board while we learn about this move.
1.e4
There is a special pawn-capturing move, and it only takes place between two pawns. It is called "En Passant", which is french for "In Passing".
1...e6
En Passant only works with pawns. You cannot capture any other piece this way. Only pawns. Lets see how it works.
2.e5
As you've already seen, pawns move forward one square at a time (optionally two squares on their first move), but capture diagonally, like this:
2...f6
3.exf6
gxf6
But let's see what happens when black tries to pull a fast one and sneak by white's pawn.
4.c4
c6
5.c5
Now this only works when the capturing pawn is on the 5th rank (c5 as shown on the board is on white's 5th rank) and the enemy pawn uses its FIRST move to move two squares forward!
5...d5
Black's pawn has just jumped past d6, where it could have been taken by white's pawn on c5. Black's pawn sits on d5, sticking its tongue out at white's pawn, taunting: "You can't touch me!" But watch what white does:
6.cxd6
Oh yes it can, too! White moves his pawn to d6 just like it was capturing something there, and removes the upstart black pawn from d5. "Can't touch me", indeed!
6...h5
Let's see that again. This time the black pawn will do the capturing.
7.h3
h4
remember, this only works when the capturing pawn is on the 5th rank (h4 as shown on the board is black's 5th rank) and the enemy pawn uses its FIRST move to move two squares forward!
8.g4
"Can't touch me!"
8...hxg3
Yes I can, too!
9.fxg3
Remember, it only works with pawn on pawn. You can't capture a bishop, knight, rook, or queen En Passant.
9...b5
10.b3
b4
11.a4
And there's one additional rule to En Passant. When the opportunity presents itself to capture a pawn En Passant, you MUST do so on your very next move...
11...f5
12.h4
...or the opportunity is lost forever. Black's pawn on b4 waited a move, and now it can no longer capture white pawn on a4 En Passant. That's just the rules. *