ChessPivot
A black chess board

Waiting move

Tactics

Photo : Buddika Gunathilaka
Tactics

A waiting move is a deliberately neutral move whose sole purpose is to transfer the turn to the opponent, forcing them to play in a position where any move they make is unfavourable.

Unlike most moves, a waiting move has no immediate tactical goal. It is especially powerful when the opponent is in zugzwang — a situation where every legal move worsens their position — or when you want to observe their response before launching a combination. In a pawn endgame, for instance, a king can shuffle between two squares to put the opponent in zugzwang and compel them to give ground.

In practice, before playing a waiting move, make sure your own position is stable enough to withstand the delay. A good waiting move weakens none of your pieces and creates no new weaknesses — it simply changes who must act next.

How to exploit it — and defend against it

To make use of a waiting move, first determine whether your opponent is already in zugzwang or close to it — if every move they have makes things worse, a simple pass-like move is enough to clinch the advantage. Make sure the waiting move you choose creates no weaknesses in your own camp and hands your opponent no tactical opportunity. In pawn endgames especially, mastering triangulation — the technique of losing a tempo over three king moves — will let you engineer zugzwang with precision. In the middlegame, a waiting move can also probe the opponent’s intentions before you unleash a decisive attack.

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White plays Kd3 (waiting move) to put Black in zugzwang: wherever the black king moves, the e2 pawn will advance decisively.

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a waiting move and an in-between move?
An in-between move (Zwischenzug) is inserted into an expected sequence to create an urgent threat before continuing the plan. A waiting move, by contrast, has no threat — its only purpose is to transfer the turn to the opponent and force them to move.
Is a waiting move only useful in the endgame?
No — although waiting moves are most common in endgames where zugzwang frequently occurs, they can also be decisive in the middlegame: to probe the opponent, provoke a revealing response, or simply wait for their position to deteriorate on its own.
How do I know when a waiting move is the right choice?
If your position is optimal and every active move would worsen it, yet your opponent also has no useful move available, that is a clear signal to play a waiting move. Always verify first that your opponent has no hidden tactical resource before committing to a passive-looking move.

Analyze your games for free

Spot your recurring mistakes and turn them into progress with ChessPivot.

Analyze my games