zugzwang - German for “compulsory step”. A position where a player is forced to make a concession by making ANY move (they would prefer to “pass” which is not legal in chess).
fianchetto - An opening pattern where the flanking bishop is hidden in a little pyramid of pawns, useful for attacking opponent’s diagonally opposing flank.
hypermodern - A chess theory which uses distant pieces to control the center of the board, rather than using the central pawns used in more traditional openings. Hypermodernists included Alekhine and Nimzowitch.
touch move - In tournament play, if a player touches a piece intentionally, and it is his turn, he must move or capture that piece (unless it is otherwise illegal to do so). A player may not touch the pieces at all when it is his opponent’s turn.
j’adoube - French for “I adjust”. A player who wishes to nudge a piece without making a legal move must first announce “J’Adoube”.
en prise - Any piece that is unprotected and open to enemy capture.
zwischenzug - German for “in-between step”. A time-spending intermediate move, usually a surprising move which throws the opponent off the sequence of the apparent strategy.
