A zwischenzug (German for “in-between move,” pronounced TSVISH-en-tsook) is a surprise move you slip in before the reply your opponent is expecting — usually a check or a threat they must answer — after which you go back and make the “obvious” move anyway. The English term is intermezzo, and it’s one of the sneakiest ideas in tactics.
The trick works because your opponent has assumed you’re forced into a particular move — most often a recapture. By inserting a more forcing move first, you make them respond to that, and only then do you carry out the original plan. The extra move buys you a free tempo, an extra pawn, or a better square along the way.
The 10-second version
- Your opponent expects the “forced” reply (often a recapture).
- Instead, you insert a more forcing move first — a check or big threat.
- They must answer it; then you go back and recapture anyway, having gained something.
A worked example
A static diagram can’t really show a zwischenzug — the whole point is the order of the moves — so here’s a short sequence.
Say White has just grabbed a knight with Nxb5, and the natural reply is to recapture with …axb5, restoring the material. But Black spots a free pawn to be had with check first, and plays the zwischenzug:
- …Bxh2+! — Black snatches the h2-pawn with check instead of recapturing.
- Kxh2 — White has no choice; the king is in check and must take the bishop.
- …axb5 — now Black recaptures the knight.
The knight on b5 was never going anywhere — the a6-pawn had it covered the whole time — so by checking first, Black pocketed the h2-pawn for free. Play the immediate …axb5 and that pawn stays safely on the board. That’s the zwischenzug: don’t rush the obvious move if a more forcing one comes first.
Related terms
This is the short version — our full zwischenzug guide shows more patterns and how to spot the chance, and you can train it on the zwischenzug puzzles page. Browse the tactics hub or the chess glossary for more. A zwischenzug is all about grabbing a tempo, and it pairs beautifully with a fork or a discovered attack as the in-between blow.
Mini-FAQ
How do you pronounce zwischenzug? Roughly TSVISH-en-tsook. It’s German — zwischen (“between”) + Zug (“move”). The Italian-derived English word intermezzo means the same thing.
When should I look for a zwischenzug? Any time a capture looks “forced.” Before you recapture on autopilot, ask whether you have a check or a bigger threat to throw in first — the recapture will usually still be there afterward.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team (AI-assisted, human-edited) · Move sequence validated with python-chess · Definition verified against Wikipedia and standard references · Last verified 2026-07-13 · How we verify content.