Negative-tempo

A negative-tempo is where an individual happens to be at a one step disadvantage to their opponent (in that they lead or dictate the pace of the tempo). For example, black in chess starts with a default negative-tempo. An individual that leads or is at least one step ahead has a positive-tempo.

Usage
Negative-tempo has it's advantage in that it allows an individual to see their opponent's move first before they make any decisions or moves, which allows them to analyse for any mistakes and to present any counter-measures.

However, negative-tempo is disadvantaged for the fact the other person can make the deciding move first, and thus can form the tone of the rest of the battle.

Individuals looking to redirect a battle need to switch from a negative-tempo to a positive-tempo.