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Chess Glossary (A-Z)
An alphabetical list of important chess terms.
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Chess has a rich vocabulary with many terms and acronyms. Find the most important definitions here.

A

ACP

Active chess

Adjournment

Adjudication

Algebraic notation (see Notation)

Annotation (also symbols !!, !, !?, ?!, ?, ??)

Antipositional

B

B (abbreviation for Bishop)

BCF

Bind

Bishop

Blitz chess

Blockade

Blunder

Bye

C

Caissa

Candidates' tournament

Castling

Category (tournament)

Center

Centralization

Check

Checkmate

Closed game

Combination

Compensation

Counterplay

D

Descriptive notation (see Notation)

Desperado

Development

Diagonal

Discovered attack

Discovered check (see Discovered attack)

Double attack

Double check (see Discovered attack)

Doubled Pawns (see Pawn structure)

Draw

E

ECO

Elimination tournament (see Knockout tournament)

Elo

En prise

Endgame

EP/E.P./En Passant

Equality

Exchange

F

FEN

FIDE

Fianchetto

Figurine notation (see Notation)

File

Flank (also Wing)

FM (FIDE master; see Titles)

Fork

Forsyth notation (see FEN)

Fortress

G

Gambit

GM (Grandmaster; see Titles)

GMA

H

Halfopen game (see Semiopen game)

Handicap (see Odds)

Hanging Pawns (see Pawn structure)

Hole

Hypermodern

I

ICCA (see ICGA)

ICCF

ICGA

IM (International Master; see Titles)

Indian opening

Initiative

Intermediate move (see Zwischenzug)

Interzonal tournament

Irregular opening

Isolani

J

J'adoube

K

K (abbreviation for King)

King

Kingside

Knight

Knockout tournament

L

Liquidation (see 'Simplification')

M

Major and Minor pieces

Majority/Minority

Mate (see Checkmate)

Middle game

Midgame (see Middle game)

Miniature

Mobility

N

N (abbreviation for Knight; 'Kt' in older texts)

Notation

Novelty

O

Odds

Open file (also 'half-open file' and 'semi-open file')

Open game

Opening

Opening theory

Opposition

OTB

Overprotection

P

P (abbreviation for Pawn)

Pairings

Passed Pawn (see Pawn structure)

Pawn

Pawn structure

PCA

Perpetual check

PGN

Pin

Plan, Planning

Ply

Positional play

Problem

Promotion

Prophylaxis

Puzzle

Q

Q (abbreviation for Queen)

Queen

Queening (see Promotion)

Queenside

R

R (abbreviation for Rook)

Rank

Rapidplay

Rating

Related squares

Repertoire

Reunification (see Unification)

Rook

Round robin

S

Sacrifice

Sealed move

Semiopen game

Simplification

Simul

Skewer (see Xray)

Space

Stalemate

Stem game

Study (noun)

Swiss system

System

T

Tabiya

Tactical play

TD (Tournament Director)

Technique

Tempo

Theory

Tiebreak

Time control (Time limit)

Time pressure

Titles

TN (Theoretical Novelty; see Novelty)

Touch-move rule

Transposition

Trap

Triangulation

Tripled Pawns (see Pawn structure)

U

Unification

USCF

V

Variation

W

Wing (see 'Flank')

X

Xray

Y

Z

Zeitnot (see Time pressure)

Zonal tournaments

Zugzwang

Zwischenzug
From Mark Weeks,
Your Guide to Chess.
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