February 22, 2026

Chess terms every beginner should know: an A to Z glossary

Chess terms A to Z: A glossary for young players. ChessDotes 64 Squares, Ratnagiri

Chess has its own language. Coaches, commentators and older players use words like fianchetto, zugzwang and j’adoube as if everyone knows them. This glossary explains the terms our students hear most, in plain English.

In short

Chess words fall into four groups: rules, tactics, strategy and tournament terms.
Learning the terms makes lessons, books and commentary much easier to follow.
Many terms come from French, German and Italian.
Bookmark this page and come back whenever you meet a new word.

In this article

Rules and special moves
Tactics
Strategy and position
Openings
Tournament terms
Everyday chess slang
Frequently asked questions

Rules and special moves

Rules

Term	What it means
Check	The king is attacked. The player must get out of check on the next move.
Checkmate	The king is in check and has no legal way out. The game is over.
Stalemate	The player to move has no legal move but is not in check. The game is a draw.
Castling	A special move of king and rook together to make the king safe.
En passant	French for “in passing”. A special pawn capture right after an enemy pawn moves two squares.
Promotion	A pawn reaching the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
Touch-move	If you deliberately touch a piece, you must move it (if you legally can).
J’adoube	French for “I adjust”. Said before straightening a piece on its square.

Tactics

Term	What it means
Fork	One piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at once.
Pin	A piece can’t move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it.
Skewer	A valuable piece is attacked and must move, exposing the piece behind it.
Discovered attack	Moving one piece reveals an attack by another piece behind it.
Double check	Two pieces give check at once. Only a king move can answer it.
Sacrifice	Giving up material on purpose to gain something bigger.
Combination	A forcing sequence of moves, often with a sacrifice, that wins material or mates.
Zwischenzug	German for “in-between move”. A surprise move played before the expected reply.

Strategy and position

Strategy

Term	What it means
Development	Bringing pieces off the back rank and into play.
Fianchetto	Italian for “little flank”. Placing a bishop on b2, g2, b7 or g7 after moving the knight’s pawn.
Tempo	A unit of time: one move. Gaining a tempo means your opponent wastes a move.
Open file	A column with no pawns on it, ideal for rooks.
Outpost	A strong square for a piece, usually a knight, that enemy pawns can’t attack.
Passed pawn	A pawn with no enemy pawns in front of it or on the neighbouring files.
Isolated pawn	A pawn with no friendly pawns on the neighbouring files.
Zugzwang	German for “compulsion to move”. Any move worsens your position.

Openings

Term	What it means
Opening	The first phase of the game, roughly the first 10 to 15 moves.
Gambit	An opening that offers a pawn (or more) for quick development or attack.
Theory	Well-known, tested opening moves.
Repertoire	The set of openings a player chooses to play regularly.

Tournament terms

Tournament

Term	What it means
Arbiter	The official who applies the rules and settles disputes.
Time control	How much time each player has, e.g. 90 min + 30 sec per move.
Increment	Seconds added to your clock after each move you make.
Flag fall	Running out of time on the clock.
Pairing	Who plays whom in a round.
Bye	A round without an opponent, usually when there’s an odd number of players.
Tiebreak	A rule deciding places between players on the same score.
Rating	A number measuring playing strength, such as a FIDE rating.

Everyday chess slang

Slang

Term	What it means
Blunder	A serious mistake, often losing a piece or the game.
Hanging piece	A piece left undefended and free to capture.
Swindle	Winning or drawing from a lost position with a trick.
Patzer	A friendly (or not so friendly) word for a weak player.

Coach’s tip: Learn five new terms a week and use them when you talk about your games. Our advanced terms guide explains the trickier ones with diagrams.