Scope: This glossary does not intend to cover player names, opening names, or Composition terms.
The Glossary aims to relate the terms to ChessWorld where possible when giving examples.
If you have contributions, corrections or questions, please post them to the Chess Forum for discussion.
There is a dedicated Chess Openings Glossary
Tactics Short term manoeuvres which have specific goals such as winning material. An example of a chess tactic is a Knight fork, forking the opponents King and Queen. Chessworld has a set of articles for tactics on the Play better menu..Learn about the Middlegame..Tactics link.
Tactics is a complementary term to "Strategy" which implies a more long term manoevering or strategy which a player may employ during the game.
Here is a video by Majnu about how to practice tactics:
Takeback A request for a Takeback facility comes up from time to time in the Site Improvement Suggestions Forum. A takeback would be the ability to take a confirmed move back.
This facility is not planned for ChessWorld because a player can always preview a move and then, when satisfied, confirm that move. There is also the Analysis board which could be used to aid analysis, and help ensure that a takeback is not required.
Technique The skill required to win a "won position" or draw a "drawn position". The Russians who dominated the game for many years had many World champions with superb "technique" for winning technically won endgames or technically drawn endgames.
In the Endgame in particular, technique plays an important role for the competitive success of a player, because if a player is not aware of the appropriate schematic plans for a given position, then they may not be able to calculate such endgame technique on the fly.
Capablanca and later Anatoly Karpov are among the World champions with the most impressive endgame "technique".
Tempo A measurement of time as it
pertains to chess. To waste a tempo is to take two moves to get a piece to a
square which it could have reached in a single move. For example, moving a pawn
from a2-a3-a4 instead of directly from a2-a4.
Theory Theory generally refers to known positions which have been studied or played by
very strong players. Although theory can apply to any phase of the game, it usually
refers to the opening and endgame. For example "Opening theory" implies opening moves which have
been played between strong players. The moves are considered to be the best (or equally attractive)
in specific positions. 'Theory says this move is strongest' means the move is
thought to lead to the best result from that position.
Threefold repetition If the identical position is repeated three times during a game, the player whos turn it is, may claim a draw by "threefold repetition".
Note that "identical position" implies the following:-
1) The placing of the pieces is identical
2) It is the same player to move
3) The castling possibilities are identical
4) The *practical* en-passant opportunities are identical
If it is the intended move that will cause a three-fold repetition then on Chessworld, you need to click the Draw button, then tick the check box, for accompanying the draw claim with your next move, and then click your move in.
In over-the-board chess ,one would have to get an arbiter and indicate the intended move to the arbiter to support the claim of the threefold repetition
If a move is played by the person wanting to claim, and they did not obtain the attention of the arbiter, then their rights to claim a draw in this way have gone. They must claim the threefold repetition when it is their turn, or show an arbiter their intended move for the claim.
Time limit Most games in chess
tournaments are played at specific rates of play, the most common for over-the-board chess being 40 moves
by each player in two hours each. ChessWorld time limits are measured in days per move, which is more standard for Correspondence chess games.
Time pressure When a player uses most of the allotted time
long before reaching the number of moves required by the control. When this happens, the
part of the game preceding the control is played in 'time pressure'.
On ChessWorld if a player oversteps the time limit for a move, the other player can claim a Win on time
Transposition A single position can
sometimes be reached by a variety of paths. Play transposes into a given
variation when a position is reached via a route other than the one given in
standard reference works. For example 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 is a normal
series of moves, but 1.Ng1-f3 e7-e5 2. e2-e4 would be a very strange
transpositional path since 2. Nf3xe5 was a possible alternative.
Trap A situation where a superficially
tempting move is left available for an unwary opponent. If he takes the bait it
usually results in an advantage - even a win - for the player who set the trap. See diagram below:-
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