Adjournment - Chess glossary term

Adjournment

Definition

Adjournment is the formal suspension of an over-the-board chess game to be resumed at a later time. Traditionally, the player whose turn it is writes their next move secretly on a scoresheet (the “sealed move”), places it in an envelope, and hands it to the arbiter. The position is reconstructed when play resumes, the envelope is opened, the sealed move is made on the board, and the clocks are restarted.

How it was used

Adjournments were a standard feature of elite classical chess for much of the 20th century, when games commonly lasted more than one session. They allowed players to rest and—crucially—to analyze the adjourned position with their teams before resumption.

Session ends (often after a fixed number of hours or upon reaching a move number like 40).
It is the player-to-move’s obligation to seal a move. They write a precise algebraic move on a special slip and seal it in an envelope; both players and the arbiter usually sign across the flap.
The arbiter records the position, clock times, and who is to move, and stores the envelope securely.
At the scheduled resumption, the arbiter opens the envelope and plays the sealed move on the board before starting the opponent’s clock.

Event regulations specified details (what happens if the sealed move is ambiguous or illegal, how clock times are recorded, etc.). Ambiguous notation could lead to disputes; arbiters tried to interpret the player’s intent if only one legal move fit, but an outright illegal sealed move could be penalized under the rules then in force.

Strategic and historical significance

Adjournments profoundly shaped high-level chess strategy:

Sealed-move technique: Players tried to choose a sealed move that either forced a narrow path (to control the opponent’s home analysis) or left maximum flexibility (to avoid giving away clear lines). A common trick was to seal a quiet, waiting move to keep multiple plans alive overnight.
Overnight analysis: Teams of seconds analyzed adjourned positions extensively. Botvinnik, for example, famously salvaged many difficult positions through meticulous home preparation after adjournments.
Match dynamics: In world championships and Candidates Matches through the 1980s, adjournments influenced momentum. Saving a worse adjourned position or springing a new idea at resumption could swing a match.

With the rise of powerful chess engines in the 1990s, adjournments became impractical: allowing computer-assisted overnight analysis would distort competitive balance. Modern elite events almost universally avoid adjournments by using time controls with increments and playing sessions to a finish. While most contemporary regulations no longer schedule routine adjournments, arbiters may still suspend a game in rare, exceptional circumstances (e.g., venue issues), following procedures specified in event rules.

Example: Illustrative sealed-move moment

The following miniature scenario shows a typical “adjournment decision.” After 40. f4, it is Black to move at the session break. Black can choose a forcing continuation that lets the opponent calculate deeply overnight, or a flexible move that preserves several plans.

Try visualizing how a direct pawn push versus a rook maneuver changes what White can analyze.

Forcing sealed move (example): 40... a2 aiming for a passed pawn race forces White to calculate concrete lines.
Flexible sealed move (example): 40... Rb3 keeps options (…b4-b3, checks on c3, or doubling on the b-file), making home analysis harder for White.

Neither choice is “objectively best” here; the point is how the nature of the sealed move affects what each side can prepare overnight.

Famous adjournments and outcomes

World Championship era (1950s–1980s): Matches such as Botvinnik–Smyslov and Botvinnik–Tal featured adjournments in nearly every game. Botvinnik was renowned for transforming inferior adjourned positions through home analysis.
Karpov–Kasparov matches (1984–1990): Iterative adjournment battles were a hallmark; both camps employed large analytical teams, and several critical games were swung or saved after resumption.
Fischer’s Candidates run (1971): Although individual sealed moves are less memorialized, the pattern of converting or defending adjourned positions with precise technique was central to match play of that era.

Note: Specific sealed-move details from older matches were often kept confidential at the time; many stories about “the” sealed move became public only years later or remained anecdotal.

Modern status (OTB and online)

Modern over-the-board tournaments almost never adjourn because engines would make overnight analysis decisive. Time controls with increments are designed to finish games in one sitting. Online chess platforms also avoid adjournments in live play; instead, games are finished in real time, adjudicated by the server if a disconnect occurs, or saved only by explicit mutual agreement in correspondence-style formats.

Tips and pitfalls for the sealed move (historical)

Be unambiguous: Write clear algebraic notation (including clarifications like “Qe2+” rather than “Qe2” if both are legal) to avoid disputes.
Balance forcing vs. flexibility: If superior, consider a forcing sealed move that narrows the opponent’s preparation. If defending, a flexible move may deny the opponent clear targets for home analysis.
Safety first: Avoid tactical minefields that the opponent can analyze all night unless you’ve calculated the critical lines yourself.
Time management: Plan for the sealed move as the session nears its end so you’re not forced into a hasty decision in mutual time trouble.

Anecdotes and trivia

Sealed envelopes: To prevent tampering or “reading through” the paper, organizers often used thick, opaque envelopes and required signatures across the flap.
Psychology: Some players deliberately chose inconspicuous sealed moves to reduce the opponent’s confidence in their overnight analysis, or left “decoy” variations visible on a spare scoresheet to mislead observers.
End of an era: As engines grew stronger in the 1990s, top events phased out adjournments, reshaping professional preparation and leading to today’s hallmark: one-session games with increments.