Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (2024)

If you're just starting your chess journey, you might be caught off guard by weird moves that look too odd to be legal. Don't worry, though. In this chess term, you learn everything about the special moves of chess.

Here are the special moves you need to know:

  • What Are Special Chess Moves?
  • Castling
  • Pawn Promotion
  • En Passant Capture
  • Test Your Skills
  • Conclusion

What Are Special Chess Moves?

Special moves are those that allow different types of movement or capture when compared to standard movements. There are only a few of these to learn, but they are extremely important to know!

When learning how to play chess, most people focus on the basic movements of the pieces and what it means to give or receive a check or checkmate. These rules usually cover most games between beginners, but the time comes when you (or your opponents) have the possibility of playing a special move. Those moves are castling, promoting a pawn, and capturing en passant.

Castling

Castling is the only move in chess that allows a player to move two pieces simultaneously—the king and a rook. It's also a crucial move because it helps you keep your king safe and quickly develop a rook.

When castling is allowed, you can move your king two squares to the side, grab the rook from the side you're castling to, and place it over and next to the king. You can watch the video or follow the link above to find out when you're allowed to castle.

Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (1)

You can castle kingside (also known as "castling short") if your king moves to the side that's closer to the board's edge, or queenside (also known as "castling long") when you do it to the other side.

Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (2)

Pawn Promotion

Pawn promotion is probably the special move that most beginners know exists, although there's usually some confusion as to how it truly works. This rule allows a pawn to become any piece (other than a king or staying a pawn) when it gets to the farthest rank from where it started (eighth for White and first for Black).

You don't need to promote your pawn to a piece that was previously captured—a common misconception among some players who are still learning the game.

Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (3)

En Passant Capture

Beginners are usually startled when they first see an en passant capture—especially when it happens against them. This rule allows pawns on the fifth rank for White and fourth rank for Black to capture another pawn that has just "passed it" in a single move.

It's the only capture in chess where the capturing piece doesn't land on the same square as the piece it's capturing.

Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (4)

Test Your Skills

Now that you're familiar with the special moves of chess, it's time to see if you can apply them. Read the instructions and solve each of the puzzles below with the rules you've just learned.

Puzzle 1: White has developed their minor pieces and now wants to improve their king's safety. What's the best way to do it?

Puzzle 2: White is down a lot of material. Should they resign, or is there a way to save the game?

Puzzle 3: Can you see the beautiful checkmate that French-Australian chess master Gunnar Gundersen delivered to A H Faul right after Black played 14...g5?

Conclusion

You now know the special rules of chess and how to apply them in your own games. Head over to our Lessons page and learn other critical chess concepts to become a better player and win more games!

Special Chess Moves | Chess Terms (2024)

FAQs

Is en passant still legal? ›

You may be surprised to learn that this is not a bug or a hack, but a legal chess move that has been part of the game for over 400 years, and has been an official chess rule since 1880.

What are the special moves in chess? ›

Part VI: Special Moves- Castling, Pawn Promotion and En Passant. Castling is a special move using one rook and the king. Castling is the only time in chess in which you can move two pieces at once. There are two varieties, queenside and kingside.

Is il Vaticano a real chess move? ›

This fantastical maneuver isn't real, but it sure is funny.

It all began on the online chess forum, /r/AnarchyChess. Known for its blend of serious players and lighthearted pranksters, the subreddit became home to the Il Vaticano hoax.

What is the weird pawn rule in chess? ›

It's called En Passant. Basically, if you have a pawn on your 5th rank and your opponent moves their adjacent pawn 2 spaces as its first move in an attempt to avoid capture, you can still capture it "in passing," but only if that is your next move. Once you make a different move, En Passant is no longer available.

What is the N pass rule in chess? ›

What Is The En Passant Rule? The en passant rule is a special pawn capturing move in chess. "En passant" is a French expression that translates to "in passing", which is precisely how this capture works. Pawns can usually capture only pieces that are directly and diagonally in front of them on an adjacent file.

What are 3 illegal moves in chess? ›

Here are some examples of illegal moves:

Moving the King on a square that is attacked by opponent's pieces. – Not protecting the King that was attacked by opponent's piece. For example, leaving the King in check. – Moving a piece in a way that the piece is not allowed to move.

What is the 75 move rule? ›

When crossing the 75th move without movement of any pawn and without any capture in a game, the result will be a draw under any circ*mstances. “ This means that practically everything that happens after the 75th move (including all instances of Articles 5, 6, and 12 of the Laws of Chess) will be invalid.

What is a knook in chess? ›

A knook is a combination of a rook and a knight. Basically, it can move like a rook and a knight. The piece design is a rook with an extension of a knight's mouth. Its piece notation will be a lowercase k.

What is Budapest in chess? ›

The Budapest Gambit is an unusual Queen's Pawn Opening which begins with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5. At first glance, black's second move makes little sense. Black voluntarily gives up one of their valuable central pawns, and even allows white to attack the f6 knight as this free pawn is taken!

What is the most risky move in chess? ›

In my opinion Kings Gambit and Danish Gambit Both are Considerd as a Most dangerous chess opening. I used to play both openings but I found that Danish Gambit accepted 1. e4 e5 2.

What is the most aggressive move in chess? ›

Top 7 Aggressive Chess Openings
  • WHITE: Evans Gambit. ...
  • WHITE: Danish Gambit (Nordic Gambit) ...
  • WHITE: Smith-Morra Gambit! ...
  • BLACK: Marshall Attack (in Ruy Lopez) ...
  • BLACK: Albin Counter-Attack. ...
  • BLACK: Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation.
Feb 12, 2024

What is the weakest move in chess? ›

One of the worst chess moves is moving the pawn guarding the castled king. The purpose of the pawn in front of the king is to keep the king safe. If you move that pawn, you will be compromising your king's safety. If there's an alternate way to make a better move, you must avoid moving that pawn.

Where is en passant allowed? ›

The Art of Attack in Chess

Quick Summary: En passant is a special pawn capture in chess. You can capture en passant when your pawn is one square deep into your opponent's half of the board, and they move their pawn two squares from its starting square such that it lands directly next to yours.

Is en passant actually forced? ›

In his 1860 book Chess Praxis, Howard Staunton wrote that the en passant capture is mandatory in such a position; the rules of chess were amended to make this clear.

Has en passant ever been used? ›

En passant as a relevant part of calculation occurs in about 60% of games, but actual en passant capture opportunities are much rarer (say 15% of games) and usually the strongest move is to make the e.p. capture (roughly at least 85% of the time), because e.p. capture will not still be available in the same manner ...

Is en passant legal in FIDE? ›

This capture is only legal on the move following this advance and is called an 'en passant' capture. e. When a pawn reaches the rank furthest from its starting position it must be exchanged as part of the same move on the same square for a new queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour.

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