Joe Joyce wrote on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 11:31 PM UTC:
Hello David Derrick. You asked this question:
''[R]ecently I came across a questionable move for which I cannot find
an answer:
WHAT IS THE SITUATION WHEN A PAWN, ON ITS FIRST MOVE, TAKES THE OPTION OF
THE TWO SPACES ADVANCE AND IN SO DOING MOVES ACROSS A SPACE THAT COULD HAVE
WITNESSED ITS CAPTURE BY AN OPPOSING BISHOP? It is virtually an en passant
situation, yet I don't believe the Bishop enjoys the same advantage that a
pawn has.
(It would be the in the case of a Rook, but most unlikely to progress that
far.)''
En passant involves only pawns on both sides. While any piece could attack the space the pawn double-steps over, only another, enemy, pawn that attacks the first square of the double step may move into that first square and capture the pawn, which just advanced 2 squares, as if it had only moved one square.
No piece in a standard game of chess may make en passant captures. Only pawns may capture or be captured en passant.