Tempo move

A move that, without adding or subtracting any possibilities, allows the opposite side to play as if the side making the tempo had not moved.

Two types of tempo moves can be distinguished:

• Waiting tempo move (pure tempo): A move can be skipped without affecting subsequent moves of the solution line.
• Zugzwang avoidance (impure tempo): A piece could play on a particular square at once, but it makes an intermediate move to avoid a lack of tempo move in the future. The move cannot be skipped.

Special cases of tempo moves are:

• Tempo capture
• Tempo check
• Tempo promotion
• Tempo sacrifice
• Tempo self-pin

See also: Mutually exclusive tempo; Tempo maneuver; Allowing tempo; Lindner 1 theme.

Páros, György

Magyar Sakkelet, BTSB, 1956

1st Prize

h#3  (3+4)

1.e4 Qa7 2.Ke5 d4+ 3.Kd5 Qd7#

Tempo move (wQ, waiting).

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 7K/7Q/8/4p3/2b2kn1/3P4/8/8

External links:

• PDB: P0522042
• YACPDB: 362729

Kricheli, Josif

Ideal-Mate Review, 1983

1st Prize

h#4 b) rotate 180  (2+4)

a) 1.Rd6 Kf4 2.Ra6 Kf5 3.Kc6 Ke6 4.Rb6 Rc8#
b) 1.Rf2 Rh1 2.Bd1 Ke6 3.Kf3 Kf5 4.Be2 Rh3#

Tempo move (zugzwang avoidance).

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 4R3/1p1r4/8/1b1k4/8/4K3/8/8

External links:

• PDB: P0501195
• YACPDB: 92623

Páros, György

Magyar Sakkelet, 1955

1st Prize

h#3  (5+12)

1.g6 Qa1 2.Kb6 a5+ 3.Kc7 Qe5#

Tempo move (wQ, waiting).

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: n1b1K2Q/1p4pP/p6r/k2P1p2/P6q/8/n1r2b2/8

External links:

• PDB: P0522040
• YACPDB: 96291

Kricheli, Josif

Problem (corr.), 1968

2nd Prize

h#3 b) bBe7→c3  (5+15)

a) 1.Sc2 Rf4 2.Kd6 Kc1 3.Qc5 Rd4#
b) 1.Sb5 Rg4 2.f2 Bf4 3.Kb4 Bd6#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 8/4b3/2p1p1p1/q1k3Pb/1R1n4/pp3pBp/p6P/rn1K4

External links:

• PDB: P0523944

Wong, Peter

feenschach, 1995

1st HM

h#2  (4+12)

b) bPd3→d7 c) bPd3→a7 d) bPd3→b3

a) 1.Qe3 Kh2 2.Kd4 Sxe6#
b) 1.Se7 Kg3 2.Kd6 Se8#
c) 1.Rb7 Kg1 2.Kb6 Sa8#
d) 1.Ra3 Kxf2 2.Kb4 Sxa6#

wK tempo, wK cross, bK star.

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 2R5/2N5/b3p2q/p1k1pn2/6p1/2Np4/r4nK1/1r6

External links:

• PDB: P0541477
• YACPDB: 306548

Ott, Markus Johannes

Schach-Aktiv, 1993

1st Prize

h#3 2.1... (4+7)

1.Ra4 Sf5 2.Ke2 b4 3.Rf1 Sd4#
1.Ba4 Sf2 2.Ke3 b3 3.Sf3 Sd1#

Tempo + Critical + AntiZielElement.

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 7K/8/8/8/3r1rN1/3p1kN1/1P1p4/3bn3

External links:

• PDB: P1005276
• YACPDB: 344796

Medintsev, Vitaly

KoBulChess, 2013 (v)

3rd Prize

h#2 2.1... (6+4)

1.Scb6 Rg4 2.Sb4 Ra1#
1.Sdb6 Rg5 2.Sa5 Rb1#

1.Scb6! (Sc~?) Rg4 2.Sb4! (tempo) Ra1#
1.Sdb6 (Sd~?) Rg5 2.Sa5! (tempo) Rb1#

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 1B4K1/b7/8/R2n4/1Rn5/7P/4P3/7k

External links:

• PDB: P1347736
• YACPDB: 411279

Maslar, Zdravko

Maslar, Slavko

Problem, 2nd Yugoslav Championship, 1960

1st HM

h#2  (9+4)

1.Qh3 0-0-0 2.Qa3 Rg7#

Tempo move (bQ, waiting) × 2
Switchback

View in Helpmate Analyzer

FEN: 8/3k4/1P1N4/N7/7B/q7/BP5p/R3K1Rr

External links:

• PDB: P0534054
• YACPDB: 94456