In short: A move, seen as time. Gaining a tempo means doing something useful while your opponent is forced to respond.
White and Black take turns to move. Nobody gets two moves in a row, so every move is a piece of time that you can use well or waste. Chess players call such a move a tempo, after the Italian word for time.
Gaining a tempo
The best kind of move does two things: it moves the game forward and forces your opponent to answer. Then you get something useful done, while your opponent only makes repairs. The classic example is developing a piece and attacking the opponent's queen at the same time.
Try it yourself:
Losing a tempo
- Moving the same piece several times in the opening, while other pieces are still at home.
- Bringing out the queen early, so that your opponent can chase her with new pieces.
- Having to retreat a piece that has been attacked by a pawn.
Tempo in the endgame
In the endgame it can be exactly the other way around. There it can be an advantage not to have to move, and a move that changes nothing, a waiting move, can be the strongest move there is. Read more about it under zugzwang and opposition.
Frequently asked questions
What does losing a tempo mean?
Making a move that doesn't move the game forward, for example moving the same piece several times in the opening, or having to retreat a piece that has been chased.
What is a waiting move?
A move that doesn't change the position much but leaves your opponent to move. In the endgame a waiting move can put your opponent in zugzwang.
Updated October 31, 2026
The starting position. Press ▶ or use the arrow keys.