This glossary of chess problems explains commonly used terms in chess problems, in alphabetical order. For a list of unorthodox pieces used in chess problems, see Fairy chess piece; for a list of terms used in chess is general, see Glossary of chess; for a list of chess-related games, see List of chess variants.

A

actual play: Albino: Allumwandlung: anti-Bristol: anticipation: aristocrat:

B

Babson task: battery: block: by-play:

C

clearance: composition: cook: cylindrical board:

D

directmate: domination: doubling: dual: duplex:

E

economy: Excelsior:

F

fairy chess: field: flight square:

G

grid board: Grimshaw: grotesque:

H

heavy: helpmate: Holzhausen:

I

ideal mate: illegal position: interference:

K

key: king's field:

L

Lacny: light:

M

maximummer: meredith: miniature: model mate: more-mover: motif: mutate:

N

Novotny:

O

obtrusive piece: orthochess: orthodox chess:

P

phase: Pickaninny: Plachutta: post-key play: problem: proof game: pure mate: puzzle:

R

reflexmate: retrograde analysis: round trip: royal piece:

S

S: selfmate: seriesmover: set play: solus rex: switchback:

T

task: theme: threat: three-mover: try: Turton doubling: twin: two-mover:

U

unblock: uncapture:

V

version: virtual play:

W

Würzburg–Plachutta:

Z

Zepler doubling: