zugzwang

American  

[tsook-tsvahng] / ˈtsukˌtsvɑŋ /

noun

Chess.

1. a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost pieces or have a damaging positional effect.

---

zugzwang British  

/ ˈtsuːktsvaŋ /

noun

1. a position in which one player can move only with loss or severe disadvantage

---

verb

1. (tr) to manoeuvre (one's opponent) into a zugzwang

Etymology

Origin of zugzwang

First recorded in 1900–05; from German, equivalent to Zug “move, pull” + Zwang “constraint, obligation”

Explanation

A zugzwang is a situation in chess where a player is required to make a move but any move they can make worsens their position. For example, if a player only has two possible moves, and one move requires them to lose their queen and another to lose their rook, that's a zugzwang. The word zugzwang comes from the German zug, meaning "move," and zwang, meaning "force." So zugzwang occurs when a player is forced to make a move that is unfavorable because a game's rules demand a move be made. The word zugzwang is also sometimes used to describe any situation in which you must take action but all available actions are bad. It's a zugzwang if you must answer a question, but any answer you give will really upset someone.

Example Sentences

He likened his dilemma to a "zugzwang" - the position where a player in chess or draughts faces only bad moves.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2021

"There's this position on the board called 'zugzwang' which means there's no good move to make ... and that's what we had yesterday, a zugzwang," he told Reuters.

From Reuters • Apr. 28, 2021

He could still draw a pawn down until another blunder enabled Grischuk to create zugzwang, compulsion for the opponent to make a losing move, then launch a winning advance to queen.

From The Guardian • Sep. 4, 2015

Navigating one last nasty shoal, Ghinda sets up a winning zugzwang after 55.

From Washington Times • May 5, 2015

There’s even a term for it, a German word, zugzwang, meaning “compulsion to move.”

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin