Zwischenzug: the move that interrupts the exchange
The German word means in-between move, and it describes the moment where everyone assumes the recapture is automatic. It is not.
- 120 positions in the course
- Difficulty 874–2391
- Section: Sacrifices and Quiet Moves
- 5 levels
What a zwischenzug is
A zwischenzug is a move played in the middle of a sequence that both sides were treating as forced -- most often after a capture, instead of the expected recapture. It works because the intervening move is more forcing than the recapture: a check, or a bigger threat, which has to be answered first.
The material is still there afterwards. That is the trick: the piece you were going to take is not going anywhere, so you get to insert a free move, and the position after the insertion is different in your favour.
How to spot it
- Whenever a capture happens, do not assume the recapture. Ask what checks exist first.
- Look for a check or a threat that gains material or a tempo, then recapture afterwards.
- The commonest form is a check that wins a piece which was only loosely defended, or that forces the king to a square where the recapture comes with tempo.
- Ask the same question in reverse before you initiate an exchange: is their recapture forced, or do they have an in-between move?
Three in-between moves
Three positions from the 120 in this skill, easiest first. The highlighted squares are the move your opponent has just played. Work it out before you open the answer.
Position 1
White to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
37...Rxc4 38.Nxe6+ fxe6 39.Rxc4
The line wins a rook. The expected recapture is not forced, and inserting a more forcing move first changes what the exchange is worth.
The position comes from an endgame of a real game, rated 874 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Position 2
Black to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
27.Qxe4 27...exf2+ 28.Kxf2 28...dxe4
The line wins a queen. The expected recapture is not forced, and inserting a more forcing move first changes what the exchange is worth.
The position comes from an endgame of a real game, rated 1524 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Position 3
Black to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
28.Rxd7 28...Qxf2+ 29.Kh1 29...Rxd7
The line wins a rook. The expected recapture is not forced, and inserting a more forcing move first changes what the exchange is worth.
The position comes from an endgame of a real game, rated 2213 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
The blind spot it exploits
Exchanges feel like single events. You calculate 'I take, they take' as one unit and evaluate the position at the end of it, which means an in-between move is never generated as a candidate at all.
The fix is mechanical: after every capture in your calculation, whether yours or theirs, list the checks available before you write down the recapture. It costs seconds and it is the single most common source of miscalculated exchanges below master level.
Questions people ask
What is a zwischenzug?
An in-between move: a move inserted into an apparently forced sequence, usually a check, before completing the expected capture or recapture. It works when the inserted move is more forcing than the recapture.
What is the difference between zwischenzug and zugzwang?
They are unrelated despite the similar name. A zwischenzug is an in-between move that interrupts an exchange. Zugzwang is a situation where a player is harmed by having to move at all. One is a tactic; the other is a property of a position.
Is zwischenzug the same as an intermezzo?
Yes. Intermezzo is the Italian term for exactly the same idea and the two are used interchangeably in English chess writing.
Nearby patterns
In-Between Moves sits in Sacrifices and Quiet Moves. The rest of that section:
- SacrificesGive material, get more back
- Quiet MovesThe winning move that threatens nothing
- Running Out of MovesWhen having to move is the problem
- DefendingFinding the only move that holds
Tell it apart from its neighbour
In-Between Moves is confused with these more often than anything else, and the difference is usually one sentence long.