Tempo: a practical example
Developing a knight while attacking an exposed queen can gain a tempo because the opponent may need to respond. Conversely, repeatedly moving the same piece without a concrete reason can lose time while the other side develops its forces.
How to use the idea in your games
Ask what the opponent gains while you carry out a maneuver. A move is not automatically good because it attacks something; the target may move to an even stronger square.
A useful study question
Can you explain tempo in your own words, identify it in a position, and describe when the idea does not apply? Test the explanation on a legal board before relying on it.
Connect the ideas
Development, Initiative, Zwischenzug are useful next concepts. Follow the links to compare definitions and examples, then return to the complete chess glossary whenever an unfamiliar term appears.
Sources & further reading
References checked September 5, 2026. Linked services are independent of ChessRankings.com™.