Chess strategy
What Is a Tempo in Chess?
A tempo is one move treated as a unit of time. You gain a tempo when your move improves your position and also forces the opponent to spend a move reacting, such as developing a piece with an attack on the enemy queen.
Example
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
After 2...Qxd5 the black queen stands in the center. 3.Nc3 develops a knight and attacks the queen at the same time, so Black has to spend a move moving the queen again. White has gained a tempo.
Gaining and losing tempi
You gain a tempo when one move does two jobs: it improves your position and it makes a threat the opponent must answer. Developing with an attack on the queen, giving a useful check, or threatening a loose piece are the usual ways.
You lose a tempo when you spend a move that does not improve your position, such as moving a piece back to where it came from or moving the queen out early and having to move it again after it is attacked.
When tempi matter most
In the opening, a few tempi decide who finishes development first. In open positions, an extra tempo or two can be enough to start an attack before the other side has castled.
In closed positions time matters less, because neither side can quickly open lines. In the endgame a single tempo can decide a race between passed pawns or decide who gets the opposition in a king and pawn ending.
Losing a tempo on purpose
Sometimes you want to pass the move to your opponent. In king and pawn endings, a king can make a triangle of moves to reach the same position with the other side to move, which can put the opponent in zugzwang. This is called losing a tempo, and it is a winning technique rather than a mistake.
Common questions
What is the plural of tempo in chess?
Tempi is the usual plural, though tempos is also used.
What does gaining a tempo mean?
It means making a useful move that also forces your opponent to react, so you effectively get an extra move. Attacking a piece while developing is the most common way.
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