- Bad bishoploš lovac
- A bishop restricted by its own pawns on squares of its colour. The name describes an activity problem, though the bishop may still perform an important defensive role. A common plan is to open a diagonal or bring it outside the pawn chain.· See also: Bishop pair
- Bishop pairpar lovaca
- A side's two bishops, one operating on each colour of square. Against an opponent without both bishops, their combined reach can be an advantage, especially in an open position. When pawns close the diagonals, knights may have more useful work and better squares.· See also: Bad bishop, Piece values
- Blockadeblokada
- Stopping a pawn by placing a piece directly in front of it. The pawn cannot advance while that square is occupied. A knight often makes a good blockader because it can still attack nearby squares, though the best choice depends on the position.· See also: Passed pawn, Outpost
- Buchholzbuholc
- A tie-break for players with the same score. In its basic form, it adds the final scores of a player's opponents. A higher total means those opponents collectively scored more points. Variants may exclude the lowest score, so the tournament's chosen rules matter.· See also: Swiss system
- Castlingrošada
- Castling moves the king and a rook together: the king moves two squares towards the rook, which moves to the square the king crossed. It can be kingside or queenside. Neither piece may have moved before, the squares between them must be empty, and the king cannot be in check, cross an attacked square or finish on one.· See also: Development
- Centrecentar
- The central squares d4, e4, d5 and e5, and more broadly the area around them. Controlling the centre helps pieces move between the two wings. You can occupy it with pawns or attack it from a distance; what matters is who can play actively there.· See also: Development, Tempo
- Checkmatemat
- The king is in check and no legal move can remove the attack. It cannot escape, the checking piece cannot be captured and the check cannot be blocked. The side delivering mate wins immediately; the king is never captured.· See also: Stalemate, Mating pattern
- Chess titlestitule
- Chess distinctions awarded by FIDE for achievement. GM, IM, FM and CM are open to all players; there are also women's titles WGM, WIM, WFM and WCM. Requirements vary: the usual route to GM and IM includes a rating and norms, while FM and CM can be earned through rating, subject to the relevant conditions.· See also: Elo rating
- Combinationkombinacija
- A connected sequence of tactical moves aimed at a concrete result, such as winning a piece, delivering mate or securing a draw. It often includes a sacrifice and replies the opponent can hardly avoid. The appeal lies in how each move prepares the next.· See also: Sacrifice, Mating pattern
- Compensationkompenzacija
- Advantages that make up for a material deficit: active pieces, space, strong pawns or an attack on the king. “Enough compensation for a pawn” means those benefits roughly balance being a pawn down. It is an assessment of the whole position; having a threat alone may not be enough.· See also: Sacrifice, Gambit, Initiative
- Developmentrazvoj
- Bringing pieces from their starting squares to useful positions. In the opening, this usually means developing knights and bishops, contesting the centre and preparing to castle. Before moving the same piece again, check whether another is still waiting for its first move.· See also: Tempo, Centre, Castling
- Discovered checkotkriveni šah
- A check created by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack. For example, a knight moves aside and uncovers a rook's attack on the opposing king. The knight can create a second threat while the opponent must deal with the check.· See also: Double check
- Double attackdvostruki napad
- A move creating two threats at once. These might attack two pieces, or attack a piece while also threatening mate. A fork is one form of double attack. The aim is to make it difficult for the opponent to solve both problems with one reply.· See also: Fork
- Double checkdvostruki šah
- A check delivered by two pieces at once. The only possible defence is a legal king move, sometimes capturing one of the attackers. Blocking a line or capturing an attacker with another piece cannot resolve both checks. If the king has no escape, it is checkmate.· See also: Discovered check
- Doubled pawnsdubl pešaci
- Two pawns of the same colour on one file, one behind the other. They arise through captures and can make pawn advances or defence harder. They are not automatically weak: they may control important squares while a neighbouring file becomes available to a rook.· See also: Isolated pawn, Open file
- Draw by agreementremi ponudom
- A draw by agreement: one player offers a drawn result and the other accepts. The offer alone does not end the game; the opponent may decline and continue playing. Some tournaments restrict when draws may be offered or agreed.· See also: Stalemate, Perpetual check, Threefold repetition
- Elo ratingELO
- An Elo rating is a numerical estimate of playing strength, named after Arpad Elo. It changes according to results compared with expectations based on the opponents' ratings. Even a draw can therefore gain or lose points. Ratings from different platforms and time controls are not directly interchangeable.· See also: Swiss system, Buchholz, Chess titles
- En passanten passant (hvatanje u prolazu)
- Capturing a pawn “in passing”. If a white pawn stands on e5 and Black has just played d7–d5, White may capture with e5xd6, as though the black pawn had stopped on d6. The right lasts for the very next move only. The same rule applies to Black in the opposite direction.· See also: Promotion
- Fianchettofijaneto
- Developing a bishop to b2 or g2 for White, or b7 or g7 for Black, usually after advancing the b- or g-pawn one square. The bishop takes up a long diagonal. If that diagonal opens, it can influence play across almost the whole board.· See also: Development
- Forkviljuška
- An attack by one piece or pawn on two or more opposing pieces at once. A familiar example is a knight attacking king and queen: the opponent must deal with the check, which may leave the queen exposed. Before collecting material, check whether the attacker can be captured or both targets defended.· See also: Double attack
- Gambitgambit
- An opening in which a pawn, or occasionally a piece, is offered for faster development, space or the initiative. The opponent may accept or decline. In the King's Gambit, for example, White plays 2.f4 after 1.e4 e5, offering the f-pawn to open the game.· See also: Sacrifice, Compensation, Development
- Initiativeinicijativa
- The ability to guide the game through threats that the opponent must answer. Active pieces and a lead in development often help you take it. The initiative can change hands quickly, so check which threats you can actually sustain.· See also: Tempo, Compensation
- Isolated pawnizolovani pešak
- A pawn with no friendly pawns on neighbouring files, so none can defend it. It can become a target, especially in an endgame. An isolated central pawn can also provide space and active piece play: a weakness and an advantage sometimes come together.· See also: Doubled pawns, Passed pawn, Blockade
- Kibitzerkibic
- A spectator at a chess game, often with an idea for the next move. While play continues, comments and advice should be kept to oneself. Afterwards comes the time for shared analysis - and checking whether that apparently obvious move really was good.· See also: Notation
- Mating patternmatni obrazac
- A recognisable arrangement of pieces that produces checkmate. Examples include back-rank mate and smothered mate, where a knight mates a king surrounded by its own pieces. Knowing patterns helps you spot an idea quickly; calculation checks whether it actually works.· See also: Checkmate, Combination
- Notationnotacija
- A system for recording moves using piece letters and square coordinates. Nf3 means a knight moves to f3; Serbian notation writes the same move as Sf3. Notation lets you replay a game even a hundred years later. Whether recording is required at a tournament depends on the time control and competition rules.· See also: Time trouble
- Open fileotvorena linija
- A file containing no pawns of either colour. Rooks and queens can use it to enter the opposing position. A half-open file has no friendly pawn but does contain an enemy pawn, often a useful target for pressure.· See also: Seventh rank
- Oppositionopozicija
- A relationship between kings in which the side not to move can make the opposing king give ground. The simplest example has the kings facing each other with one empty square between them. It is useful in pawn endgames, but remaining pawn moves must also be considered.· See also: Zugzwang, Triangulation
- Outpostuporište
- A well-supported square, often in the opponent's half, where a piece cannot easily be driven away by enemy pawns. Knights particularly enjoy such posts, from which they can pressure important squares. An outpost's value also depends on what the piece can actually do there.· See also: Blockade, Piece values
- Passed pawnslobodan pešak
- A pawn with no opposing pawns ahead of it on its own or neighbouring files. The opponent must therefore use pieces to stop it, especially as promotion approaches. Before pushing it forward, check that it has enough support.· See also: Promotion, Blockade
- Perpetual checkvečiti šah
- A sequence of checks that one side can keep giving and the other cannot escape. It often saves a draw from an otherwise lost position. Perpetual check is not a separate draw rule: the result is usually established through repetition or agreement.· See also: Draw by agreement, Threefold repetition
- Piece valuesvrednost figura
- A common guide to material: pawn 1, knight and bishop about 3, rook 5, queen 9. The king has no exchange value because it cannot be traded for another piece. The numbers are a guide; the position decides. An active knight can be more useful than a rook with no room.· See also: The exchange, Outpost
- Pinvezivanje
- An attack on a piece shielding the king or another important target along a file, rank or diagonal. A piece shielding its king cannot move in a way that exposes the king to check. If it shields a queen instead, moving is legal but may be costly.· See also: Skewer
- Promotionpromocija
- When a pawn reaches the last rank, it must become a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its colour as part of that move. The choice does not depend on previously captured pieces, so you can have two queens. A queen is usual, but a knight may deliver a crucial check, or a smaller piece may avoid stalemate.· See also: Passed pawn
- Prophylaxisprofilaksa
- Preventing the opponent's idea before it becomes a threat. It starts with a simple question: what does the opponent want to play next? Sometimes moving a piece off a vulnerable line or controlling an entry square is enough.· See also: Initiative
- Sacrificežrtva
- Deliberately offering or giving up material for another benefit: an attack, more active pieces, promotion or even a saving draw. Sometimes the continuation can be calculated to the end; sometimes it rests on a longer-term assessment. Before sacrificing, ask what you are getting in return.· See also: Combination, Compensation, Gambit
- Seventh ranksedmi red
- The rank close to the opponent's starting position: the seventh for White's rooks, and the second for Black's. A rook reaching it often attacks pawns from the side and restricts the king. Two connected rooks there can create serious mating threats.· See also: Open file
- Skeweršpil
- An attack along a line on a valuable piece with another target behind it. When the front piece moves, the piece behind becomes available for capture. Picture a rook checking a king with a queen further along the same file.· See also: Pin
- Stalematepat
- The player to move is not in check but has no legal move with the king or any other piece or pawn. The game is then drawn. With a large advantage, check whether a move that does not give check leaves the opponent any legal reply.· See also: Checkmate, Draw by agreement
- Swiss systemšvajcarac
- A tournament system that generally pairs players on the same or similar scores. A loss does not eliminate you, and you do not play everyone in the field. This lets a large number of participants complete an event in a set number of rounds.· See also: Buchholz, Elo rating
- Tabiyatabija
- A familiar, frequently reached opening position from which several plans and continuations branch out. It helps to know how the pieces work together and which pawn breaks each side is preparing. That gives memorised moves a meaning.· See also: Development, Centre
- Tempotempo
- A move considered as a unit of time in the game. Gaining a tempo means advancing your plan with a move that makes the opponent respond. For example, you develop a knight while attacking the queen: as it retreats, you have another piece in play.· See also: Development, Initiative
- The exchangekvalitet
- The material difference between a rook and a minor piece, meaning a bishop or knight. To win the exchange is to give a minor piece for an opposing rook. An exchange sacrifice gives a rook for a minor piece in return for another benefit, such as an attack or control of important squares.· See also: Piece values, Sacrifice, Trade
- Threefold repetitiontrostruko ponavljanje
- When the same position occurs for the third time, the player to move may claim a draw using the required procedure. The occurrences need not be consecutive. The pieces, side to move and available possibilities must match, including castling and en passant. A third occurrence alone does not automatically end the game.· See also: Perpetual check, Draw by agreement
- Time troublecajtnot
- Having too little time on the chess clock for the decisions a position demands. In time trouble, even a familiar idea can be missed when only seconds remain to check it. Managing time is part of the game, just like developing pieces or calculating variations.· See also: Notation
- Traderazmena
- An exchange of pieces or pawns through captures, often of roughly equal value. Before trading, picture what remains: whose pieces become more active, which pawns weaken and who prefers the endgame? Equal material exchanged does not mean both sides benefit equally.· See also: The exchange, Piece values
- Triangulationtrougao
- A manoeuvre that restores a position with the opponent to move. Typically, a king takes a three-square route while the opposing king must use a shorter path. The aim is to hand over the move when every reply worsens the opponent's position.· See also: Opposition, Zugzwang, Tempo
- Windmillmlin
- A tactical sequence alternating direct and discovered checks, often using a rook and bishop. The piece uncovering the check captures material along the way, then returns with another check. The opposing king must keep responding while other pieces remain under attack.· See also: Discovered check, Combination
- Zugzwangcugcvang
- A position in which having to move makes a player's situation worse. They would rather pass, but chess does not allow that. It often occurs in pawn endgames: a king must leave an important square, letting the opposing king through or losing a pawn.· See also: Opposition, Triangulation
- Zwischenzugcvišencug (međupotez)
- An in-between move: instead of the expected reply, usually a recapture, a player first makes another important threat. For example, a check forces the king to a worse square before material is recovered. This is why calculation should include checks and threats for both sides.· See also: Tempo