--- title: "Candidate moves in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Candidate moves are the small set of plausible moves you shortlist in a position before analyzing any of them in depth." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/worst-placed-piece.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/counterplay.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Candidate moves in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Candidate moves are the small set of plausible moves you shortlist in a position before analyzing any of them in depth. Candidate moves are the small set of plausible moves you shortlist in a position before analyzing any of them in depth, so that your thinking is organized and no strong option is overlooked. Rather than examining every legal move, a thoughtful player first draws up a short list of [candidates](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidates-tournament.md): usually two to four moves that deserve real attention. Forcing moves come first, meaning checks, [captures](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) and threats. Then come moves that improve a poor piece, fix a weakness or answer the opponent's plan. The list is what makes [calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md) manageable. You compare the options, calculate the critical lines, and pick the one that holds up. Without it, many players grab the first reasonable idea and play it, which is how simple [tactics](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md) get missed. Common mistakes are listing only moves that continue your own plan, forgetting to ask what the opponent just threatened, and falling in love with the first candidate so that the others get only a glance. Another is a list that contains only captures, leaving out the [quiet move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/quiet-move.md) that actually works. A practical habit is to ask the same short questions every turn: what changed, what does the opponent want, what are my forcing moves, and what is my [worst-placed piece](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/worst-placed-piece.md)? Write the shortlist down in practice games for a while, so the routine becomes automatic. Also called: candidate move. It sits close to [Blunder check habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md). A blunder check habit is a short, fixed routine run before every move, asking what the opponent threatens and whether the intended move leaves anything undefended, to catch one-move oversights. A neighboring idea is [Chess training](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training.md). Chess training is the organized, repeated practice of specific skills such as tactics, endgames, openings and calculation, designed to raise playing strength steadily rather than relying on playing games alone. It sits close to [Thinking process](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md). A thinking process is a consistent order of questions you follow on each move, from assessing the position and opponent's threats to choosing candidates and checking your choice, so decisions are less random. Training ideas such as "Candidate moves" work best with a plan built for you, and the [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li produces one from your own games. ## Related terms - [Thinking process](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md) - [Calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md) - [Blunder check habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md) - [Worst-placed piece](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/worst-placed-piece.md) - [Tactic](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md) - [Counterplay](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/counterplay.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Thinking process in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md) - [Calculation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md) - [Blunder check habit in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md) - [Worst-placed piece in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/worst-placed-piece.md) - [Tactic in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md) - [Counterplay in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/counterplay.md) - [Chess terms: Training and psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)