En passant

En passant is a unique and often misunderstood chess rule that allows a pawn to capture an opponent’s pawn in a special way. The move occurs only when an opposing pawn advances two squares from its starting position and lands directly beside your pawn. In that exact moment, on your very next move, you have the option to capture it as if it had only moved one square. Your pawn moves diagonally behind the enemy pawn, and the opponent's pawn is removed from the board. This rule was introduced to prevent pawns from bypassing attacks when double-stepping forward. It’s a rare but can be powerful

, especially in endgames or pawn structure battles, and many players miss the chance to use it because they forget it exists or aren't watching for it.