en passant
chess
Quick Summary
In chess, "en passant" is a special move for pawns. It's a French term meaning "in passing". This rule allows a pawn to capture an opponent's pawn that has just advanced two squares from its starting position. The capture happens as if the opponent's pawn had only moved one square.12
This rule became widely accepted in chess around the 18th century, though it was known earlier. It's a unique capture that only pawns can perform, and it must be executed immediately after the opponent's pawn makes its two-square advance.32
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