A preconceived notion. Making judgments about a position without proper justification during a game

The ability to accurately predict moves several turns ahead and foresee changes in the position. Used to calculate piece movements and exchanges to achieve favorable positions. Unlike mere intuition or strategy, it is the process of considering and evaluating specific sequences move by move

A term coined by Soviet GM Alexander Kotov in his book "Think Like a Grandmaster," referring to multiple possible moves to consider. It describes the process of analyzing a position to select several candidate moves, deeply examining each one, calculating several moves ahead, and choosing the apparently best move

A collective term referring to all chess pieces on the board. Often used to refer to multiple pieces as a group rather than individual pieces

A state where two pieces mutually support and coordinate with each other. Commonly used for connected rooks or connected pawns. One-way defensive relationships are Protection (Defense), which differs from Connection

A move that continues the flow related to the previous move. A move that continues the flow based on a certain plan, attack, defense, or policy

A position requiring precise calculation. In such positions, there may be only one winning line or just one move to avoid checkmate. Missing a critical moment can reverse the evaluation or turn a winning position into a draw

A concept related to piece placement and usage. Specifically, the ability and options to properly position and utilize pieces

Areas outside the center. Refers to the kingside or queenside. The English word "flank" originally means "side" or "wing"

Winning a game and earning 1 point

A draw. Earning 0.5 points

A move that drives away a piece. Not a technical term but often used casually. More formally expressed as Pawn Thrust, Chase, Forcing Move, or Drive Away

A concept representing the overall value or count of pieces. Emphasizes the numerical value of pieces (point system) rather than just pieces themselves. Often used in the context of material advantage or deficit. Includes both pawns and pieces but excludes the king

A game that ends in a short number of moves, typically those finishing within 20 moves are commonly called miniatures

Missing important threats or opportunities in your own or opponent's moves. Besides blunders, this includes overlooking your own attacking chances or opponent's threats

Being ahead in material. Generally refers to having one more piece (knight, bishop, rook, or queen) than the opponent. When ahead in pawns, it's expressed as "pawn up"

The position. The arrangement and state of pieces on the board (including castling rights and en passant squares). Strategic elements arising from the game progress and piece placement

Latin for "after death examination," referring to the time after a game when both players review the position and analyze the moves played

A state where a piece is defended by another piece or pawn. Unlike Connection where pieces defend each other, this refers to a one-way defensive relationship

Severely exploiting the opponent's bad or inaccurate moves. Not missing the opponent's mistakes and playing appropriate moves to gain an advantage

Arranging pieces for a specific purpose. While Position refers to the piece arrangement itself (static), Setup is the process of arranging pieces and preparing for a goal (dynamic)

Tempo refers to the turn (one's turn to move). The plural form is tempi. Gaining a tempo means forcing the opponent to make defensive moves while advancing your pieces to favorable positions

A state where the position is bad and awkward. Refers to poor pawn structure, unnatural piece placement, low king safety, or moves that violate opening principles

The ability to accurately visualize the board and positions in one's mind. A fundamental skill for calculation, the ability to imagine several moves ahead without looking at the board. Stronger players have better ability to accurately visualize and calculate positions several moves ahead