Chess Dictionary | FIDE ID Lookup

A

Accelerated Swiss

A pairing variation designed to separate the top players more quickly in the early rounds.

A

Active King

In the endgame, the king becomes active by moving toward the center to control pawns and key squares.

A

Analysis

The process of evaluating the options, variations, and outcomes in a position.

A

Arbiter

The official who enforces the rules in chess tournaments.

A

Arbiter

The official responsible for enforcing the rules in official chess competitions.

A

Arena Tournament

A tournament format in which players are continuously paired with new opponents for a set period instead of fixed rounds.

A

Armageddon

A special tie-break game in which Black is declared the winner in case of a draw, ensuring the tie is decisively broken.

A

Average Centipawn Loss

An analysis metric that measures the average quality gap between played moves and the best choice.

B

Back-Rank Mate

A mating pattern in which the king is trapped on the back rank by its own pawns.

B

Backward Pawn

A structural weakness: a pawn that cannot be supported by neighboring pawns and cannot advance easily.

B

Backward Pawn

A pawn weakness that is hard to advance and often becomes a target on an open or semi-open file.

B

Bad Bishop

A bishop whose own pawn structure limits its mobility and reduces its effectiveness.

B

Bad Knight

A knight that struggles to find effective squares and remains passive due to the pawn structure, often becoming a positional liability.

B

Battery

A combined attacking formation of pieces lined up one behind the other on the same rank, file, or diagonal, exerting common pressure.

B

Berger Table

A standard table used in round-robin tournaments to determine the pairing order.

B

Best Move

The main option that yields the highest evaluation in a given position.

B

Bishop

A minor piece that moves along diagonals.

B

Bishop Endgame

An endgame class where bishop color and pawn structure determine the result.

B

Bishop Pair

Having both bishops gives a long-term advantage, especially in open positions.

B

Blindfold Chess

Chess played without looking at the board, relying entirely on memory.

B

Blindfold Chess

A form of chess in which the player visualizes the moves mentally without seeing the board.

B

Blitz Chess

A fast chess format played with very short thinking time.

B

Blunder

A critical mistake in a single move leading to a significant loss of material or a checkmate threat.

B

Board Vision

The ability to quickly and accurately see piece relationships, threats, and weaknesses on the board.

B

Bridge Building

A rook endgame technique for supporting a passed pawn by shielding the king from lateral checks.

B

Buchholz

A common tie-break method in Swiss-system tournaments, calculated from the total scores of a player's opponents.

B

Bye

A player's right to skip a round in a tournament.

C

Calculation Tree

A calculation structure that branches from different candidate moves in a position.

C

Candidate Move

A move option in a position that is considered serious enough to calculate in detail.

C

Candidates Tournament

The most important qualifying tournament for determining the player who will challenge the world champion.

C

Caro-Kann Defense

A resilient defense against 1.e4 in which Black prepares with ...c6. It is known for a solid pawn structure and sound piece development.

C

Castling

A special move where the king and rook move in the same turn to improve king safety.

C

Center Control

The struggle for dominance over the central squares of the board.

C

Central Passed Pawn

A passed pawn advancing on the d or e file, disrupting the opponent's center.

C

Central Tension

Keeping central pawn contact intact instead of resolving it immediately, preserving flexibility and creating options.

C

Check

A forcing situation showing that the opponent’s king is under threat.

C

Checkmate

The opponent’s king is in check and has no legal way to escape, capture, or block the threat.

C

Chess Engine

Chess software that calculates and evaluates positions.

C

Chess960

An alternative chess format in which the starting position is randomized in a rule-based way.

C

Clearance

The withdrawal of a piece or pawn to open a line or vacate a square for another piece.

C

Closed Game

A type of position where central pawns lock each other and maneuvering takes priority.

C

Color Balance

The objective of maintaining an equitable distribution of playing with White and Black pieces for each player throughout a tournament, ensuring fair conditions.

C

Color Complex

A set of lasting weaknesses on squares of a particular color. These weaknesses can become especially dangerous around king safety.

C

Combination

A tactical sequence in which forcing moves are linked in succession to achieve a specific goal.

C

Connected Passed Pawns

The shared promotion threat created by two adjacent or mutually supporting passed pawns advancing together.

C

Counterplay

When under pressure, the defending side creates active threats instead of relying on passive defense.

C

Counterplay in the Center

A method of creating active play by breaking with pawns in the center against a flank attack.

C

Cutting Off the King

A technique of using rank or file control to prevent the opposing king from approaching critical areas.

D

Decoy

A tactical move used to lure an opponent's piece to an undesirable square.

D

Default Time

The official waiting period a player has to arrive at the board after the round starts before losing by default.

D

Defensive Resource

A hidden idea or move that offers resistance in a lost or difficult-looking position.

D

Defensive Sacrifice

The decision to give up material to prevent a greater loss or neutralize a threat.

D

Deflection

A tactical motif that targets a weakness by luring a key defending piece away from its main defensive duty.

D

Deflection

A tactic that lures an enemy piece away from its defensive duty.

D

Delay

A short waiting period before time starts being deducted from the main clock.

D

Demolition of Defense

A method of forcibly breaking up the pawn-piece structure that protects the king or a critical square.

D

Desperado

A piece that is going to be lost inflicts as much damage as possible before it goes.

D

Development

Moving pieces from their starting squares to effective squares. A key opening principle tied to activity and king safety.

D

Development Lead

The situation of bringing more pieces into play in the opening to gain time and initiative.

D

Discovered Attack

A tactic in which moving the front piece reveals an attack from the piece behind it.

D

Discovered Attack

A move that opens the line of attack for a piece behind it. The moving piece may also create a threat.

D

Discovered Check

When the front piece is moved away, the piece behind it begins to threaten the opposing king.

D

Distant Opposition

In pawn endings, a technique for indirectly controlling the tempo when the kings are separated by distance.

D

Domination

A piece neutralizes an opponent's piece without leaving it any safe squares. This control renders the opponent's piece almost immobile.

D

Double Check

Two pieces simultaneously deliver a check to the opposing king. It is the most powerful form of check in chess.

D

Double Check

Simultaneous threat to the opposing king by two different pieces.

D

Double Threat

The idea of splitting the defense by creating two different threats at the same time with a single move.

D

Doubled Pawns

A structural weakness or dynamic balance created when two pawns occupy the same file.

D

Draw

A game finished without a winner, with the point shared between the players.

D

Dynamic Balance

A position that appears statically equal, yet both sides have different active resources.

E

Elo Rating

A rating system and score that numerically expresses a player's strength.

E

En Passant

The right to capture an opposing pawn that advances two squares alongside it, as if it had moved only one square.

E

En Passant

Capturing in passing. A special capture rule that applies only to pawns.

E

En Prise

A piece or pawn left in a position where the opponent can win material by capturing it.

E

Endgame

The final phase of the game, where precise calculation and pawn structure become more important as fewer pieces remain on the board.

E

Endgame Tablebase

A precomputed database system that gives the absolutely correct result in endgames with few pieces.

E

Engine Depth

The level showing how many half-moves ahead the engine calculates in a position.

E

Exchange

The relative material difference between a rook and a minor piece.

E

Exchange Decision

The strategic decision-making process of when and under what conditions to make exchanges.

E

Exchange of Pieces

A connected series of captures by both sides that reduces the number of pieces on the board.

E

Exchange Sacrifice

The idea of giving up a rook for a minor piece to gain a long-term or dynamic advantage.

F

Fair Play

The principle of preventing cheating, maintaining equal conditions, and ensuring ethical competition in tournaments.

F

Fianchetto

Developing the bishop to b2, g2, b7, or g7 so it operates on the long diagonal.

F

FIDE

The international governing body of world chess.

F

Fifty-Move Rule

A rule that allows a draw to be claimed if no pawn move has been made and no piece has been captured in the last fifty moves.

F

Flag Fall

Flag fall is when a player's time expires on the clock. Under the right conditions, this results in a loss of the game.

F

Fool's Mate

The fastest possible checkmate pattern in chess.

F

Forced Line

A sequence of moves in which both sides have very limited replies, making calculation clearer and more concrete.

F

Forfeit Win

A win awarded to one side by the rules without the game ending normally on the board.

F

Fork

A tactic in which a single piece attacks multiple targets at the same time.

F

French Defense

A solid yet dynamic opening system in which Black meets 1.e4 with ...e6.

G

Gambit

The deliberate sacrifice of a pawn or piece to gain development or a positional advantage.

G

Good Bishop

An active bishop that can operate on effective diagonals outside its own pawn chain.

G

Grandmaster (GM)

The highest chess title awarded by FIDE.

G

Greek Gift Sacrifice

A classic attacking motif, usually involving a bishop sacrifice on h7 or h2 to expose the king.

H

Hanging Pawns

A pair of adjacent central pawns with no pawn support from either side.

H

Head-to-Head Tiebreak

A tiebreak criterion based on the result of the direct game between players who finish on the same score.

I

Improving Move

A prophylactic move that may not create an immediate threat but gradually improves the position step by step.

I

Inaccuracy

A move played when a better option exists, causing a small but measurable loss of quality.

I

Increment

Extra thinking time automatically added to the clock after each move.

I

Infiltration

A piece enters the opponent's camp to pressure pawns, king safety, or weak squares.

I

Initiative

The advantage of directing play so that the opponent is forced to respond to your moves.

I

Insufficient Material

A situation where neither side can legally checkmate the other with the pieces on the board.

I

Interference

The idea of breaking the defensive link between an opponent's pieces by placing a piece in between them.

I

Interference

A tactic that cuts the connection between a defending piece and the square or piece it protects by interposing a piece.

I

Intermediate Check

The idea of inserting a check instead of the expected continuation to turn the variation in your favor.

I

Isolated Pawn

A solitary pawn that has no pawns of the same color in adjacent columns. It lacks support from friendly pawns on either side.

I

Italian Game

A classical opening beginning with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.

J

J'adoube

The formal expression a player says before adjusting a piece, indicating no move is intended.

K

Key Squares

Critical squares, especially in pawn endgames, that determine the outcome if the king reaches them.

K

King Safety

The principle of protecting the king from threats and keeping it away from open lines.

K

King Walk

The king follows an unexpectedly long route for attacking or defensive purposes.

K

King's Gambit

A sharp classical opening in which White offers a pawn with 1.e4 e5 2.f4.

K

Kingside

The right side of the board associated with the f, g, h, and usually e-files.

K

Knight

A minor piece that moves in an L-shape and can jump over other pieces.

K

Knight Endgame

A closed type of endgame in which knight maneuvering and tempo play determine the outcome.

K

Knockout Format

A tournament format where the loser is eliminated each round and the winner advances.

L

Lasting Advantage

A positional advantage, such as pawn structure or a strong square, that can be maintained for a long time.

L

Legal's Mate

A classic opening combination that appears to begin with a queen sacrifice and ends in a swift mate.

L

Live Rating

A temporary rating value that changes in real time with each game result while a tournament is in progress.

L

Live Standings

As results are entered during a tournament, the current standings table is updated in real time.

L

Loss of Tempo

Reaching the same goal later because of unnecessary moves, often giving up the initiative.

L

Lucena Position

A fundamental rook endgame setup where a passed pawn is converted into a win by building a bridge.

L

Luft

A flight square created to prevent the king from falling victim to a back-rank mate.

M

Main Line

The principal continuation in an opening that is theoretically regarded as the most reliable.

M

Major Pieces

The long-range group of pieces formed by the rooks and the queen.

M

Maneuver

A piece follows a route of several moves to reach a better square.

M

Mating Net

An attacking pattern that forces mate by systematically cutting off the opposing king's escape squares.

M

Minor Pieces

The collective name for knights and bishops. A common classification in exchanges and positional evaluation.

M

Minority Attack

A plan of using pawns on the side with fewer pawns to create weaknesses in the opponent's structure.

M

Minority Attack

A strategic plan carried out on the flank with fewer pawns, aiming to damage the opponent's pawn structure.

M

Mistake

An inferior move that worsens the position but does not immediately lose the game.

M

Move Order

An opening and middlegame factor where playing the same idea in a different sequence changes the character of the variation.

N

Norm

The tournament performance required to qualify for the GM or IM title.

N

Notation

Notation is the system for recording chess moves in written form.

O

Open Diagonal

A diagonal with few pawn obstacles, giving bishops long-range activity and pressure.

O

Open File

A vertical file with no pawns on it. It is a key avenue of activity for the rooks.

O

Open Game

A type of game in which the central pawns have largely been exchanged and the lines are opened.

O

Opening

The initial 10-15 moves of a chess game, where pieces are developed and central control is established.

O

Opening Novelty

A prepared idea played for the first time, or only rarely, in a known theoretical variation.

O

Opening Trap

An idea in the opening that tactically punishes an opponent's natural-looking reply in the first moves.

O

Opposite-Colored Bishops

A structure where the players' bishops move on different-colored squares.

O

Opposition

In king endgames, a position where the two kings face each other and the move advantage is critical.

O

Outpost

A strong square that cannot be attacked by enemy pawns.

O

Outside Passed Pawn

An outside passed pawn draws the opponent's king to one flank, creating opportunities on the other side of the board.

O

Overloading

A piece is overloaded when it must handle multiple important duties at once and can be forced to abandon one of them.

P

Passed Pawn

A pawn that cannot be stopped by an opposing pawn in front of it or on adjacent files.

P

Passed Pawn

A pawn with no opposing pawns in front of it on its own file or adjacent files.

P

Passive Rook

A rook that becomes ineffective by being tied to defense instead of pressuring a passed pawn from behind.

P

Pawn

The smallest but one of the most important pieces in chess. Each player has 8 pawns.

P

Pawn Break

A progressive pawn move aimed at disrupting the opponent's pawn structure.

P

Pawn Chain

A resilient structure formed by pawns that protect each other diagonally.

P

Pawn Hook

A target pawn that creates a point of contact on the opponent's kingside, accelerating the idea of a pawn break.

P

Pawn Island

Disconnected groups of pawns. Fewer pawn islands mean a stronger structure.

P

Pawn Majority

Having more pawns than the opponent in one area of the board.

P

Pawn Race

An endgame phase where both sides push passed pawns at the same time and tempi determine the outcome.

P

Pawn Structure

The long-term positional framework created by the arrangement of the pawns.

P

Pawn Weakness

A backward, isolated, or doubled pawn structure that is hard to defend and can become a target.

P

Performance Rating

The temporary rating level that a player's results in a specific tournament correspond to based on the opponents faced.

P

Perpetual Check

A defensive resource that forces a draw by keeping the opposing king under continuous check.

P

Philidor Position

A classic rook ending where the defender holds the draw with third-rank defense.

P

Piece Activity

A concept describing how effectively pieces are placed and how much they contribute to the game.

P

Piece Coordination

The harmonious, mutually supportive cooperation of pieces toward a common objective.

P

Piece Superiority

A situation where one side's pieces are more effectively placed and better coordinated, even with equal material.

P

Pin

A tactical motif where moving a piece would expose a more valuable piece behind it.

P

Pin

A tactical motif in which moving the front piece would expose a more valuable piece behind it to attack.

P

Poisoned Pawn

A pawn that seems safe to capture but leads the capturing side into tactical or positional trouble.

P

Portable Game Notation

A standard notation file format that stores chess games move by move in text form.

P

Principle of Two Weaknesses

The principle of creating a second target when the opponent can defend only one weakness, causing the defense to collapse.

P

Promotion

A pawn reaching the last rank and being transformed into another piece.

P

Promotion

A pawn turning into another piece when it reaches the last rank.

P

Prophylaxis

A preventive approach that anticipates the opponent’s plan and stops it before it can take shape.

P

Protected Passed Pawn

A passed pawn supported by another pawn.

Q

Queen

The most powerful piece in chess. It can move like both a rook and a bishop.

Q

Queen Endgame

An endgame phase where queens remain on the board and perpetual check threats become especially important.

Q

Queen's Gambit

A fundamental opening in which White offers a pawn with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 to fight for the center.

Q

Queenside

The left side of the board, comprising the a, b, c, and usually d files.

Q

Quiet Move

A powerful move that completes a combination without giving check, making a capture, or creating an immediate direct threat.

R

Rapid Chess

A time control shorter than classical chess but longer than blitz, where both speed and decision quality matter.

R

Rook

A powerful piece that moves along horizontal and vertical lines. It is crucial for king safety and can be very effective on open files.

R

Rook Endgame

An endgame phase where rooks are decisive and technical knowledge directly affects the result.

R

Rook Pawn

A flank pawn on the a- or h-file.

R

Round Robin

A tournament system where every participant plays against every other participant. It is typically used in smaller tournaments.

R

Rule of the Square

A simple rule that shows whether a king can catch a pawn.

S

Sacrifice

The deliberate decision to give up material for a greater objective.

S

Scholar's Mate

A common beginner trap that aims for a quick mate by rapidly targeting the weak f7 or f2 square.

S

Seeded Player

A player placed advantageously in the draw because of a high rating.

S

Semi-Open File

A file on which only one side has no pawn. It can be used to apply pressure against an opposing pawn.

S

Seventh Rank

A critical rank where rooks or the queen penetrate the opponent's second rank, exerting great pressure.

S

Shouldering

An endgame technique of using the king to block the opposing king's path and keep it away from critical squares.

S

Sicilian Defense

The most popular and sharpest defense to 1.e4: 1...c5.

S

Side Line

An alternative opening path that deviates from main theory and forces the opponent into practical decisions.

S

Simultaneous Exhibition

An event in which one player plays against multiple opponents at the same time.

S

Skewer

A tactical motif where a more valuable piece stands in front; when it moves away, the piece behind it remains exposed.

S

Smothered Mate

Checkmate by a knight, usually when the king is surrounded by its own pieces.

S

Smothered Mate

A checkmate delivered by a knight when the king is trapped by its own pieces and has no square to move to.

S

Sonneborn-Berger

A tie-break system, used especially in round robins, weighted according to the scores of your opponents.

S

Space Advantage

A strategic advantage gained by controlling more usable squares on the chessboard.

S

Stalemate

A drawn position in which the side to move has no legal move, while its king is not in check.

S

Stalemate Motif

The idea of using having no legal moves in a seemingly lost position as a tactical saving resource.

S

Structural Concession

The decision to accept a lasting weakness in the pawn structure for a short-term aim.

S

Swiss System

A non-elimination tournament format in which players with similar scores are re-paired each round.

T

Technical Win

A win achieved through correctly applied basic principles rather than flashy tactical play.

T

Tempo

The time value of a move and its effect on initiative. It describes gaining or losing moves that let you act before your opponent.

T

Temporary Advantage

A type of advantage that lasts for only a limited number of moves and disappears if not used quickly.

T

Temporary Sacrifice

Giving up material briefly in order to win it back later under more favorable conditions.

T

Thematic Sacrifice

A recurring strategic sacrifice motif in specific openings or pawn structures.

T

Threefold Repetition

The right to claim a draw arises when the same position occurs three times with the same player to move.

T

Tiebreak

A set of auxiliary criteria used to rank players who finish on equal points.

T

Time Advantage

A move advantage gained through faster development or more effective tempi than the opponent.

T

Time Control

Oyunculara verilen dusunme süresi ve artis (increment) ayarlari.

T

Time Trouble

A situation where a player's remaining time becomes so low that making sound decisions is difficult.

T

Touch-Move Rule

A basic competition rule requiring a touched piece to be moved, if legal, unless the player first declares their intention.

T

Transposition

Reaching the same or a similar position through a different move order.

T

Triangulation

A technique of taking a three-move king route to give the move to the opponent.

U

Underpromotion

A promotion choice where a pawn is turned into a knight, bishop, or rook instead of a queen to achieve a better result.

W

Waiting Move

A subtle move played to pass the turn to the opponent without disrupting the position's essence.

W

Weak Square

A square that can no longer be defended by pawns and becomes a lasting target for the opponent.

W

Wing Attack

A plan that builds pawn and piece pressure on the queenside or kingside instead of in the center.

W

World Chess Championship

Matches played for the most prestigious title in the chess world.

W

Wrong Bishop

In rook pawn endings, the bishop may fail to control the promotion square because it is on the wrong color.

X

X-Ray Attack

The idea of exerting indirect pressure on a target behind another piece along the same line.

Z

Zugzwang

A critical endgame situation where the obligation to move makes the position worse.

Z

Zwischenzug

The idea of inserting a stronger move before following the expected sequence.