Special Moves in Chess
Chess is a fascinating game; the more you get into it, the more you fall in love. Most people start by learning how to set up a chessboard and the basic rules, like how the pieces move, how they capture, their piece value, and so on.Three special chess moves are essential to understanding the game completely. Two involve the little soldiers- the pawns, and the third is a move by the king and rook.
Here is what you will learn in the article:
Which Are the Special Chess Moves?
The special moves that allow different movements or captures in comparison to the standard rules of chess are:
- Castling (a special move between the king and the rook)
- Pawn Promotion (involving the pawn, as the name suggests)
- En Passant (one of the most famous but also most confusing pawn moves)
Some moves are more common than others, so let’s start with the most common one- castling.
Castling
This move is so special because it is the only move in chess where you move two pieces in one turn- the king and rook. Also, it’s the only time when the king moves two squares.
Castling is a special chess move involving the king and a rook.
Castling is one of the most important maneuvers in chess because it moves the king away from the center of the board, where it can be easily attacked. In other words, castling helps put your king in a safer spot.
Another bonus is that it helps develop the rook. At the beginning of the game, the rooks feel a little lonely, stuck in the corner. So, moving these pieces toward the middle of the board gives them more freedom, making them more useful.
There are a few rules to follow for castling:
- You can only castle if you haven’t moved your king or rook yet.
- No pieces can be between your king and rook on the side you want to castle (short or long castling).
- If you’re in check, you can’t castle. You have to get out of check first.
- You can’t castle if any square the king passes through is under attack.
*Note: The rook can pass through an attacked square or even be under attack, and you can still castle. - You can’t castle into check (moving into check is an illegal chess move in the first place).
These might sound like many rules, but once you know them, they’re easy. Plus, if you’re playing online, ChessKid will automatically stop you from castling if the rules aren’t met.
Now let’s see how castling works in practice:
As you can see, the king moves two squares toward the rook. If you’re playing online, once you move your king to “g1,” ChessKid will move the rook for you and complete the castling.
With this special chess move, we can imagine the king getting tucked into bed at night. The three pawns in front are like his blanket, keeping him warm, and the rook acts like a pillow, making him feel comfy.
In this position, the king is much safer than before, as the pawns provide protection.
Now, let’s look at long castling. There’s a small yet important difference compared to short castling.
The same rules apply; the only different thing is how far the rook goes.
The king still moves two squares, but the rook moves three squares this time. An excellent way to remember this is that the king always moves two squares, and the rook lands right next to it (two squares for short castling, three for long castling).
Here is what it looks like:
So, those are the main things you need to know about the most common special chess move. So that you know, the best players in the world castle in nearly every game (or in 99% of their games) to keep their king safe and develop their rooks faster.
Pawn Promotion
What happens when a pawn reaches the end of the chessboard? Does it disappear all of a sudden?
Yes, it does—but only to return as a more powerful piece! If you’re playing on ChessKid, the computer will show you the options you can choose from.
Every time you get a pawn to the 8th rank (as White), you’ll need to choose a piece to promote it to.
You can promote your pawn to any of these pieces (even if you already have some of them on the board):
Every pawn's dream: reaching the final rank!
You can’t promote your pawn to a king. Sorry, there is only one king per side. But you can have as many queens, rooks, bishops, or knights as you want (as long as you get your pawns across the board).
The term "pawn promotion" comes from upgrading a pawn to a stronger piece. Players usually promote to a queen because it’s the most powerful piece—this is why pawn promotion is often called “queening”.
En Passant
It's time for special chess move #3. This one confuses many beginners. En Passant comes from French and means “in passing”.
The most famous pawn move: en passant!
This rule is one of the “newest” in chess, introduced about 400-500 years ago. That might seem like a long time, but chess is over 1500 years old!
Let’s check out this position:
After Black’s move 1…e6, White can simply take the pawn with 2.fxe6.
Black has just played 1...e7-e6. Pawns capture diagonally, so White can continue with 2.fxe6, capturing the pawn.
But instead of moving the pawn one square, Black can advance it two squares to “e5.” This works like the pawn only moved one square, and White can still capture it like this:
Black has just played 1...e5, and White can respond with an en passant capture by taking the pawn diagonally on the "e6" square.
White can eliminate Black’s only left pawn from the game by taking it and moving to the “e6” square.
It’s like Black is whispering, “Hey, I know you can capture me, but I’m brave enough to move ahead anyway!”
Here is how en passant looks in action:
En Passant is only possible after the opposing pawn makes its two-square move. If you don’t capture it right away, you lose your chance!
Think of it like the pawn moved one square. In this example, it would’ve landed on “e6,” and White could capture it typically (pawns capture diagonally).
Many beginners are confused by this rule and think it’s cheating or illegal. It might look strange to see White’s pawn capture on an empty square, but don’t worry—it’s perfectly legal and can catch your opponent off guard if they don’t know about it!
Note: En Passant only applies to pawns—no other pieces can do this.
Test Your Skills
Now, it’s time to practice. We have dedicated Pawn Promotion and En Passant puzzles, so go check them out.
Sum Up
Now you know the three special moves in chess- castling, pawn promotion, and en passant.
Study them carefully, and you’ll be a much better chess player! No more puzzled looks or surprises when these moves pop up.
Ready for a game of chess?