En passant puzzles
A pawn captures an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares, as if it had moved one.
About en passant puzzles
A pawn captures an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares, as if it had moved one. These puzzles use that special rule.
How to spot it
- The enemy pawn must have moved two squares on the previous move, and your pawn must be on its fifth rank beside it.
- The capture must be made on the very next move or the right is lost.
- Check whether capturing en passant opens a line or gives check.
A common mistake
Forgetting the capture must be made on the very next move.
A worked example
R
KR
Q
Q
N
K
B
R
BRBlack to move. White has just played Kf1. Find the best move.
Solution: 25... Ba6+ 26. Bb5 Bxb5+ 27. c4 bxc3#
Ba6+ checks the king, so your opponent has to answer the check. The last move is checkmate: the king has no safe square and nothing can block or capture. The idea: A pawn captures an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares, as if it had moved one.
The highlighted squares show White's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (1112 rating).
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Questions
When can I capture en passant?
Only on the move right after the opponent moves a pawn two squares from its starting rank to land beside your pawn. Your pawn then moves diagonally to the square the enemy pawn passed over.
Where do these puzzles come from?
They are real puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use under the CC0 license. Each one was built from a real game and tested by many players. We picked well-rated ones with good popularity scores.
Are the puzzles free?
Yes. There is no signup, no limit and no ads on the puzzles. Your progress on this page is not saved after you leave.
What do the difficulty levels mean?
Beginner puzzles are rated under 1250, intermediate 1250 to 1749 and advanced 1750 and up, using the rating Lichess players earned on each puzzle.