Odds

A head start given ahead of time in a game between a strong and a weak player, to even out the chances. The most common kinds of odds are a queen, a rook, a knight (most often the b1 knight), a pawn (most often the f7 pawn), or one or two moves.

Playing odds games was common in the past. There were even tournaments played on handicap terms — the word borrowed from horse racing, where extra weight equalizes the runners' chances. Since the early 20th century, odds have fallen out of use.