Openings

What is a Transposition in chess?

  • Opening
  • Move Order
  • Flexibility

Reaching the same position through a different move order.

Transposition FAQ

What is a transposition in chess?

Reaching the same position through a different move order.

How do you get better at using a transposition?

When a move order changes, stop naming the opening and check whether the position's plans changed.

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.

Builds on

Related terms

Free game review

See where transposition 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.