In-between moves

How to spot it

A zwischenzug (German for “in-between move”) is a move you insert before the obvious one. Your opponent captures, everyone expects you to recapture, and instead you first play a check, a capture or a threat that must be answered. Then you recapture, having gained something extra.

The habit to build: when you are about to make an automatic move, especially a recapture, stop and ask whether there is a forcing move first. Checks come first, then captures, then threats. The piece you want to recapture usually is not running away.

A desperado is the same idea from the other side. When one of your pieces is lost anyway (attacked and trapped, or about to be traded off), let it capture as much as it can before it goes.

Watch for your opponent’s in-between moves too. Before you capture, ask whether the opponent has a check or a bigger capture to play first.

Puzzles

Ten puzzles, rated 750 to 1700. A wrong move shows the engine’s refutation, and a missed puzzle comes back for review.