In short: When a game that wasn't finished at the end of the session was stopped and played to the end later. The player to move wrote down the next move and sealed it in an envelope.
Also called adjourned game.
A classical game could once go on for many hours. If it wasn't finished when the session ended, it was adjourned and played to the end another day.
The sealed move
When the game was adjourned, one player was to move. That player wrote the next move on the scoresheet, without playing it on the board and without the opponent seeing it. Both scoresheets went into an envelope that was sealed, and the position and the clock times were written on the outside. The arbiter kept the envelope. When play resumed, the arbiter opened it and made the move on the board.
It could be a small advantage to seal, especially with a move that forced a particular reply. The opponent didn't know which move was in the envelope and had to analyze several possibilities, while the player who sealed knew exactly which position was coming.
A game in three sessions
When Ulf Andersson beat the world champion Anatoly Karpov in Milan in 1975, the game was adjourned twice. It went on for 79 moves before Karpov resigned: Karpov–Andersson 1975.
Why adjournments disappeared
Between sessions both players could analyze the position at home, with friends and with books. When computers grew strong, anyone could get help working out the position during the break. So tournaments switched to shorter time controls, so that games are finished in one sitting. The rules still allow adjournments, but they are almost never used. The last world championship match with adjourned games was the FIDE world championship of 1996.
Read also about the scoresheet, where the sealed move was written, and about time control.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sealed move?
The move the player to move wrote down, without playing it on the board, when the game was adjourned. The scoresheets went into an envelope that was sealed, and when play resumed the arbiter made the move on the board.
Do adjournments still exist?
The rules still allow them, but they are almost never used. The last world championship match with adjourned games was the FIDE world championship of 1996.
Updated November 14, 2026