Learn English – Is “Though tired he was, he played well” correct

Though tired he was, he played well.

This is not a usual way of expressing this idea, and fluent speakers may find it odd. More usual ways would include:

• Although he was tired, he played well.
• Though he was tired, he played well.
• Tired as he was, he played well.
• In spite of being tired, he played well.
• Despite being tired, he played well.

Yet other forms might change the second clause to "he still played well".

The example uses a device known as inverted syntax, This refers to sentences (or phrases) where the normal order of words is altered. Here the adjective "tired" has been swapped with the verb phrase 'he was". This tends to give an old-fashioned, archaic feel to the expression. In verse, it is sometimes used to make the meter or rhyme work.

The Britannica article "Inversion" refers to it as:

the placing of an adjective after the noun it modifies (“the form divine”), a verb before its subject (“Came the dawn”), or a noun preceding its preposition (“worlds between”). Inversion is most commonly used in poetry in which it may both satisfy the demands of the metre and achieve emphasis.

Pecks "Some Secrets of Syntax" gives the example of

My heart you have broken; my resolve you have cemented.

and observes that:

Inversion is one of the simplest ways to vary syntax, but also one of the most dramatic. It’s best reserved for material that can handle some extra flair: literary, creative, dramatic or promotional documents, or material that will be read for entertainment as much as for content.

When used as a literary device, inversion is also known as "anastrophe"

See also:

• "What are inversion and syntax?" from the BBC
• "Inverted Syntax: Definition & Examples" from study.com
• "inversion" from Literary Devices