General Chess Terms | Part 2
Tempo (plural: tempi)
It is all about the timing of your pieces to gain an initiative. White is said to have a slight edge because white always moves first to start a chess game, and thus starts ahead in tempo.
Tempo has everything to do with distracting your opponent’s pieces and taking their timing away from them. The best example is when one player captures a valuable piece (such as a queen) while also putting their opponent’s king in check.
The king must move or the piece must be captured, thus resulting in slowing down the player and taking away their tempo.
It becomes more crucial in the end game. In many king and pawn endgames, the game can be decided based on tempo. Sometimes you want to give away a tempo in order to win.
end game = the final stage of a chess game which begins when few pieces are left on the board
have a slight edge = to be slightly better than someone or something else
See also