Tournament Play
What is a sealed move in chess?
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Sealed move is a tournament term: to prevent unfair advantage when an OTB game is adjourned, the player whose turn it is to move is required to write down their next move and put it in a sealed envelope. Upon resumption, the arbiter opens the sealed envelope, makes the move and the game continues. The player may be disqualified if the sealed move is illegal, ambiguous or unclear. This affects how games are organized, scored, paired, or decided.
sealed move FAQ
What is a sealed move in chess?
Sealed move is a tournament term: to prevent unfair advantage when an OTB game is adjourned, the player whose turn it is to move is required to write down their next move and put it in a sealed envelope. Upon resumption, the arbiter opens the sealed envelope, makes the move and the game continues. The player may be disqualified if the sealed move is illegal, ambiguous or unclear. This affects how games are organized, scored, paired, or decided.
How do you get better at using a sealed move?
Competition terms matter because they affect incentives, pairings, and risk decisions.
Train this pattern on your own games
Reading a definition is not the same as spotting the pattern with a clock running. Chessiro's free game review runs Stockfish 18 over every move you play, names the concept behind each mistake, and turns the positions where it cost you into training puzzles. You can also see the idea in action in the classic games collection, where the greatest players in history demonstrate it.
Related terms
Free game review
See where sealed move decides your games
Chessiro reviews your games with an AI coach that names the concept behind every mistake, then drills you on the exact positions where it happened until you stop repeating them.
