Zwischenzug
An 'in-between move' — a forcing intermediate move inserted into a sequence the opponent expected to be automatic.
A zwischenzug — literally an “in-between move” in German — is one of the most elegant resources in tactical chess. The opponent has played a move that appears to force a particular reply: a capture, a recapture, an exchange. The zwischenzug interrupts the expected sequence with a move that delivers an even stronger threat, and only after the opponent answers that does the original reply happen.
The pattern usually involves a check or a capture that the opponent cannot ignore. If White captures a piece on c6, expecting the automatic recapture, and Black instead plays a check that wins a queen — the check is the zwischenzug. After Black has gained the queen, the original recapture happens anyway, but the material situation has changed.
The motif’s value is that it overturns lazy calculation. Players who assume that a capture must be recaptured immediately miss zwischenzugs constantly. Strong players check for in-between moves before committing to any forcing sequence, and many tactical puzzles are built around the surprise of the intermediate move.
The English-language name in-between move is sometimes used interchangeably, but the German term has survived because it captures the rhythm of the idea: zwischen is the moment between two beats, and that is exactly where the move lives.