Hello, and welcome to Kids Academy! I’m Coach Rob, and today we’re going to learn something exciting about chess. Last time, we talked about pawn promotion. Now, let’s explore a special rule called “en passant.” It’s a bit tricky, but don’t worry, I’ll make it fun and easy to understand!
“En passant” is a French term that means “in passing.” It’s a special move in chess that not many people know about. This rule was added to the game about 400 years ago to make chess more interesting and faster.
When chess was first played, pawns could only move one square at a time. This made the game slow. So, players decided that pawns could move two squares forward on their first move. But then, a new problem came up. If a pawn moved two squares forward, it could skip past an opponent’s pawn without being captured. That’s when “en passant” was introduced to make it fair.
Here’s how it works: If your opponent’s pawn moves two squares forward and lands right next to your pawn, you can capture it as if it only moved one square. But you have to do it on your very next move!
Imagine you have a white pawn on the fifth row (rank) of the board. If a black pawn moves two squares forward and lands next to your pawn, you can capture it using “en passant.” You move your pawn diagonally to the square behind the black pawn, and it’s captured!
Yes, black can use “en passant” as well! If a white pawn moves two squares forward and lands next to a black pawn on the fourth row, black can capture it on the next move.
Remember, “en passant” doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it can change the game. It might even help your pawn become a queen! Always be on the lookout for this special move, and use it wisely.
That’s all for today! Keep practicing and have fun playing chess. Don’t forget to check out more of our videos and apps for more learning adventures. Happy playing!
Chess Board Exploration: Set up a chess board and practice the “en passant” move with a friend or family member. Take turns moving the pawns and see if you can spot when “en passant” can be used. Try to explain the move to someone else as you play. This will help you remember how it works!
Story Time with Chess: Create a short story or comic strip about a chess game where a pawn uses “en passant” to win the game. Draw pictures to show the pawns moving and the special capture. Share your story with the class or your family to help others understand this unique move.
Pawn Parade: Go outside and use sidewalk chalk to draw a large chess board. Use small toys or stones as pawns. Practice moving the pawns and demonstrate the “en passant” move. Invite friends to join and explain the rule to them. This hands-on activity will make learning fun and memorable!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Welcome to Kids Academy! Hi, it’s Coach Rob from Kids Academy. In our last video, we learned about pawn promotion. Today, we’re going to learn about a second very important pawn rule called “en passant.”
Apologies if I didn’t pronounce that correctly, but for my French-speaking students out there, “en passant” means “in passing.” It’s a special rule that not many casual chess players know about. Here’s how the rule works.
Before we talk about the rule, let’s discuss why “en passant” came into being. This is the most recent rule change in chess, about 400 years old. When chess was first created, pawns could only move one step at a time. Some games were a bit slower, with pawns moving to e3, and black playing e6, white playing e4, and black playing e5. Then, chess players thought, “This is too slow; let’s speed the game up a bit by allowing pawns to move two steps on their first move.” So, when a pawn is on its starting square, it has a choice: one step or two. After that, pawns move one square at a time, as always.
They decided to adopt that rule, but then a problem arose. When positions like this occurred, black could play pawn h7 to h5, rushing past the white pawn. Chess players said, “That’s not fair; white should have a chance to capture that pawn as it goes to h5.” So, that’s how “en passant” came into being.
“En passant” is a special rule only for pawns. Here it is: if an opposing pawn moves two steps forward in one turn and is adjacent to your own pawn, on your very next move, you may capture that pawn as though it moved only one square.
Let’s see an example. We have a white pawn on g5. If I move it diagonally forward one square to h6, the computer will allow me to capture that pawn as though it were still on h6.
For this rule to be in effect, white needs to have a pawn on the fifth rank, and a black pawn must move two steps to be adjacent to the white pawn. If the black pawn moves one step and white chooses not to capture it, then “en passant” is no longer allowed.
“En passant” is a special pawn-to-pawn rule that occurs if an opposing pawn moves two steps and is adjacent to your pawn.
Now, can black also use “en passant”? Yes! A black pawn would need to be on the fourth rank. For example, if I have a pawn on b2 and I play pawn b4, on black’s next turn, that pawn can choose to capture.
However, just because black can capture doesn’t mean it’s the best move. White could capture back, making it a fair trade. Instead of using “en passant,” black might be better off pushing the pawn to promote.
“En passant” is important to keep in mind. It doesn’t happen frequently, but when it does, it can have a significant effect on the game, often allowing a pawn to promote into a queen.
As you play, be on the lookout for “en passant.” If you have a white pawn on the fifth rank and a black pawn moves two steps in one turn, you can choose to use “en passant.” Remember, it has to be your very next move; you can’t move your king and then decide to use “en passant” later.
Lastly, it’s crucial for the pawns to be adjacent to use the rule. If a black pawn goes two steps but is not adjacent to the white pawn, it cannot capture “en passant.”
If we were playing a tournament game and writing this down, we would note the moves accordingly.
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This version maintains the educational content while removing any informal or unnecessary elements.
