This guide covers 8 different aspects related to the expansive matter of Chess Development …
None of these topics really warranted sections of their own and they’d otherwise be jay walking on random pages of this site …
So, they’ve been rounded up and lumped together into this single page, which more than adequately does the job and yes it is a bit lazy, but life’s too short.
Chess Development
The following is a list of chess development terms and situations all players should be familiar with. Click the links if you want to find out more (each includes a video example).
1) Development
Development usually refers to the arrangement of a player’s army, as the Pawns and Pieces are ‘developed’ – ideally into their preferred positions – in the Opening phase of a game.
2) Fianchetto
“Fianchetto” is a term used to refer to a specific positional development of the Bishops, when they’re placed on their 2nd Rank, within their army’s half of the board, so that they’re on the long-diagonal of the colored squares along which they operate.
3) Hole
A Hole is a square that is totally undefended by Pawns and freely available for control, by either player.
4) Positional Play
When development is referred to as “Positional”, it refers to a style – or an approach – that is more patient …
5) Quiet Move
Any move that DOESN’T result in a piece being threatened or captured is referred to as a Quiet Move.
6) Symmetry
In the Opening phase, it’s not uncommon for both players to make the same moves, whereby Black appears to ‘mirror’ a short sequence of White’s development, resulting in a pattern of perfect Symmetry.
7) Tempo
Each turn or single move a player makes is referred to as a “Tempo”.
8) Transposition
Transposition occurs in the Opening phase, when the same position is reached, but you get there in a slightly different sequence of moves.