Does En Passant Mean?

1 : in passing. 2 —used in chess of the capture of a pawn as it makes a first move of two squares by an enemy pawn that threatens the first of these squares.

Is en passant a French word?

(italics)French. in passing; by the way. Chess.

Why is it called en passant?

En passant (French: [ɑ̃ paˈsɑ̃], lit. ... The en passant capture rule was added in the 15th century when the rule that gave pawns an initial double-step move was introduced. It prevents a pawn from using the two-square advance to pass an adjacent enemy pawn without the risk of being captured.

Sarah Jenkins

Sarah Jenkins

Senior Technology Editor & AI Specialist

Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.