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How many en passants?

How many en passants?

Posers and Puzzles

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Everyone knows (?) what 'en passant' is. My question is:

How many 'en passants' can it be, at maximum, in a game?

(Sorry, I don’t have the correct answer myself, but I suspect that 16 is to many.)

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Originally posted by FabianFnas
Everyone knows (?) what 'en passant' is. My question is:

How many 'en passants' can it be, at maximum, in a game?

(Sorry, I don’t have the correct answer myself, but I suspect that 16 is to many.)
You're right, 16 is way too many. Any pawns that I take of yours in this way, can't then take mine back - so 8 would be the maximum.

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How many eps can be played or how many times is an ep available? Or is there a difference in the answers?

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I think the answer is eight....that's just off the top of my head. I don't like to waste time doing a lot of thinking.

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Originally posted by Drumbo
I don't like to waste time doing a lot of thinking.
I guessed that, Dumbo.

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What's the maximum number by one colour?

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Originally posted by Bowmann
What's the maximum number by one colour?
8, presumably.
If white moves every pawn to the 4th row while black only moves Knights (being careful not to take a pawn) then black can move a7-a5 and be taken, en passant, by the b5 pawn. Next black moves b7-b5 and is taken by the a5 pawn. The white c-pawn takes black's d-pawn and vice-versa. Similarly with the e and f pawns. Finally the g and h pawns.
Ta-daa!

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Originally posted by Bowmann
What's the maximum number by one colour?
7

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1. a4 Na6 2. b4 Nb8 3. c4 Na6 4. d4 Nb8 5. e4 Na6 6. f4 Nb8 7. g4 Na6 8. h4 Nb8 9. a5 b5 10. axb6 Nc6 11. b5 a5 12. bxa6 Nb4 13. d5 c5 14. dxc6 Na2 15. c5 d5 16. cxd6 Nb4 17. f5 e5 18. fxe6 Na2 19. e5 f5 20. exf6 Nb4 21. h5 g5 22. hxg6 Na2 23. g5 h5 24. gxh6

That's 8 then, which was to be expected. 🙂

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Then 8 en passants is the maximum.
Q.E.D.

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Pretty mean, bowman, especially since everyone seems to concur with my answer.

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Originally posted by Drumbo
Pretty mean, bowman, especially since everyone seems to concur with my answer.
What's concur mean?

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Originally posted by Diapason
8, presumably.
Are you absolutely sure?

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Originally posted by Diapason
8, presumably.

Originally posted by Bowmann
Are you absolutely sure?
Yup.

Given that I then went on to describe how to take all 8 of the opponents pawns en passant and given that Jimmyb270 had explained why 8 was a maximum, it would appear that by the end of my post I was certain.

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Originally posted by FreakyKBH
What's concur mean?
concur means agree