Move order
Move order is the sequence in which moves are played to reach a given setup, and it matters because the same final position can allow the opponent different choices depending on which move comes first.
Also called: move order trick
Two players can aim for the same setup and still face very different problems depending on the order of their moves. Playing a pawn move before a knight move, or the reverse, can allow or forbid certain replies. In the opening that often decides which lines the opponent is able to enter.
A move order trick is a sequence chosen to keep your own choices open or to take away an option from the opponent. For example, you may delay committing a pawn until you see how the opponent develops, or you may play a move that makes an unwanted line impossible before the opponent has a chance to choose it.
Good move order also affects safety. A developing move that attacks something or prepares castling can come before a quiet move, because it gains time. Playing a slow move first can let the opponent seize the center or start an attack.
A typical mistake is copying a sequence from memory without checking whether the opponent's last move changed the situation. Another is to delay a key move so long that it is no longer possible. When in doubt, ask what the opponent can do after each candidate and which order leaves them with the fewest good choices.
Compare it with Book move. A book move is a move in a well established opening line, one that already appears in published analysis, opening databases or an engine's prepared opening list, so a player can choose it from knowledge rather than calculation.
A neighboring idea is Colle system setup. The Colle system setup is a quiet White plan that leaves the c1 bishop behind a pawn on e3 for now and groups the other pieces, with Bd3, Nf3, Nbd2 and c3, around one central push, e3-e4.
Also worth reading is Italian setup. The Italian setup is a White formation after e4 and Nf3 with the bishop on c4 aimed at f7, usually supported by c3 and d3, used for a patient fight in the center and on the kingside.
Opening ideas such as "Move order" are easier to keep when they are tested on your own games, which is what a first lesson with George Li begins with.
Related terms
A transposition is a change of route, most often in the opening: the moves come in an unusual order, yet the board ends up in a position normally associated with another order or even another opening.
Opening theory is the body of knowledge about the opening, made up of the known moves, plans and evaluations of the main lines that players have tested over many games.
An opening repertoire is the personal menu of opening lines a player has decided to rely on, so that with either color they know where they are heading and have answers ready for the opponent's most likely choices.
A book move is a move in a well established opening line, one that already appears in published analysis, opening databases or an engine's prepared opening list, so a player can choose it from knowledge rather than calculation.
Guides that go further
Most popular chess openings and win rates
The most played openings, how often White wins, and how the numbers change with rating, computed from public games.
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
Want to spot this in your own games?
A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.