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Beginner lesson 13/20
Development and tempo
Bring pieces into play efficiently and understand the value of a move.
Learn this chess concept step by step, then practise it on the interactive ChessRivo board.
Open interactive lessonAbout this lesson
Development means activating pieces. A tempo is essentially one move, and wasting several tempi can leave you behind in the opening.
Key ideas
- Develop knights and bishops toward useful squares.
- Avoid moving the same developed piece repeatedly without a concrete reason.
- Use moves that improve your position while creating useful threats.
Coach tip: When you gain a tempo, you improve your position while forcing the opponent to respond.
Test yourself
In chess strategy, a tempo is best understood as…
- One move or unit of time
- A draw offer
- A captured pawn
Show answer
Correct answer: One move or unit of time
Practise this lesson interactively
Open the ChessRivo Academy board exercise for this exact lesson. Your progress is saved when you are signed in.
Open interactive lessonHow to use this lesson in a real game
Turn the idea into a repeatable decision process.
- Before moving, name the position feature this lesson is about.
- Find one candidate move that follows the lesson idea and one alternative.
- After the game, return to the critical position and compare your choice with the lesson.