How to Use Chess Tempo to Your Advantage
Chess tempo is a concept that can radically change how you approach the game.
Tempo means 'time' in Italian. As a chess concept, it is the simple idea that each move you make counts as valuable time. If it takes you three moves to get to a certain position when it could have taken two, you have lost tempo.
In this article, we will focus on how to find moves that give you tempo or take it away from your opponent. With this simple concept, you can see how to get better development in the opening, find tactics, get out of trouble in a difficult position, and win more endgames.
Understanding Chess Tempo
Before we start, let’s make sure we understand the concept.
In the opening, if both players develop their pieces to safe squares and create a solid pawn structure, they will maintain equal tempo. But what if a player is forced to move a piece back to its starting square?
In this case, we can say they have lost a tempo. By moving back to a starting square, they have wasted a move and given the opponent more time to develop their pieces and claim the initiative.
As you can see in this position, black has no safe squares for its knight so it has to retreat to g8. This may seem like a rare position, but it is actually a common one in Danish Gambit after:
- e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nf6 e5 5. Qe7 Qe2
Black blunders when they play Nf6. For white, it is a simple matter of identifying that the black knight has no safe squares, and understanding the concept of tempo.
Using Chess Tempo Strategically
How can you make tempo a part of your chess strategy?
The first step is to consider whether your moves could lead to a loss of tempo. You can do this by asking questions like: Is this piece vulnerable? Could I get to this position in fewer moves? Does this move actually improve my position?
The next step is to look for ways to take tempo away from your opponent. Can you threaten one of their pieces while improving your position? Are there any useful checks? Can you find any tactics to undermine their position?
Let’s take a look at some specific ways that tempo can help you win chess games.
Use Tempo for Better Development
Tempo is a key concept in chess openings. Most chess openings aim at taking control of the center of the board and developing the pieces to active squares. With both players attempting this, in many ways tempo is a deciding feature of success in the opening.
So how can you make moves with tempo? Or take it away from your opponent.
Threaten Vulnerable Pieces
If your opponent has vulnerable pieces, attacking them can allow you to activate a piece and force your opponent to make a suboptimal move. Look for moves that improve your position, even slightly, and cause your opponent to waste time.
In this example, black has moved its knight to g4, but because f2 is protected it has no legitimate attack. By playing h3, white can “kick” the knight back to f6 or h6. At this point, simply by wasting a move, black has a significantly worse position and white can quickly take the initiative.
Sacrifice Material for Tempo and Development
The above example was pretty obviously a bad move for black, but sometimes you can offer your opponent seemingly good moves that actually give you an advantage.
This is often the idea of gambit openings. By inviting your opponent to take a pawn or other piece, you are exchanging material tempo. While they capture the piece, you gain a positional or tactical advantage.
The Queen’s Gambit Accepted is a legitimate opening for black, but many chess coaches advise against it, especially for beginners. This is because white’s position is strong, despite giving up a pawn.
After playing e5, white will have a strong center and immediately threaten to recapture the pawn on c4. By giving up a pawn, white has given itself more time to take control of the center and dominate the opening.
Attack with Developing Moves
Moves that develop and activate your pieces should also create threats when possible. This forces your opponent to play defensively, giving you a tempo advantage.
Here white uses the bishop to put pressure on the weak f7 square. There is a common position in the Vienna Game and not problematic for black. Nevertheless, it is a good chess tempo move for white because it serves to develop a piece and create pressure.
Further reading: Modern Chess Openings
Tactical Tempo
Throughout every stage of the game, tempo is a way to put your opponent under pressure. Tactics are moves and combinations of moves that significantly improve your position and damage your opponent's. Tactics tend to work by creating forcing moves. Your opponent is forced to defend giving you the tempo advantage and the opportunity to win material or dramatically improve your position.
A discovered attack is a common type of tactical move that involves moving a piece out of the way of a bishop, rook, or queen. Together, the moved piece and the exposed piece create a dual attack. In a sense, discovered attacks give you two tempi for the price of one.
In this position, black is threatening to take the rook on h1 with check on, but white can play Qf5+. The king has to move to a dark square. At this point, white can sacrifice the bishop with check on c7 and win the queen with Qxf4.
This is an example of a discovered attack. By delivering check, white gains a tempo that allows it to put the Queen in a position to make the discovered attack. The discovered attack itself allows you to create two threats: the check on the king and the attack on the exposed queen.
Using Tempo to Get Out of Trouble
Tempo is an excellent way to put your opponent under pressure. But what if you find yourself under pressure?
By delivering checks and creating threats in a bad position, you can create tempo for yourself and find a way to escape your opponent's tactics.
In this example, black has forced white’s queen and knight. To escape, white can deliver check and get its queen to safe square in one move, gaining a tempo. Black has to respond by moving or protecting the king, which gives white time to move the knight to a safe square.
Tempo in the Endgame
Tempo is also a key concept in endgames. Moving a pawn one rather than two moves, or forcing your opponent into a position when they have no good moves (Zugzwang), can be enough to decide a chess game or match.
Take a look at this simple pawn endgame.
Both players have two pawns and the kings are in active positions near the pawns. Is the game a draw?
The answer is yes if it is white's move, but no if it is black's. Black is given the time to start moving around the pawns and can slowly force the white king away from its defense of the d4 pawn.
Moves:
- Kf6 2. Ke2 Kg5 3. Kf3 Kf5 4. Kg3 Ke4 5. Kg4 Kxd4
In pawn endgames, it is often a matter of calculating who will have additional tempo or who will be left without any good moves. This is an often neglected part of study, but decides many games. Learning how to use tempo in the endgame can make a surprising difference in your win and draw percentage.
Applying Chess Tempo in Your Games
Chess tempo is a fundamental concept in the game. Understanding it can give you an edge in the opening, middlegame, and endgame that many beginners and intermediate players lack. Ultimately, it can help you win more chess games and matches.
As you continue your chess development, start thinking about tempo. Ask yourself whether a move gives you time or wastes it. This simple practice will go a long way to ensuring that every move you make is considered and aimed at bettering your position.
Further reading: Beyond Material by Davorin Kuljasevic