Zugzwang
situation in chess and other games that forbid passing, wherein one player is put at a disadvantage by the obligation to make a move / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zugzwang is a chess term. It means a situation where any move by a player will weaken the player's position.[1] The fact that the player is compelled to move means that their position will become significantly weaker.
For example...
Example of zugzwang
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
8 | 8 | ||||||||
7 | 7 | ||||||||
6 | 6 | ||||||||
5 | 5 | ||||||||
4 | 4 | ||||||||
3 | 3 | ||||||||
2 | 2 | ||||||||
1 | 1 | ||||||||
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
- Black to play
1. ... Kd7 and White cannot win:
2. c6+ Kc7
3. Kc5 Kc8
4. Kd6 Kd8 (opposing the king)
5. c7+ Kc8
6. Kc6 is stalemate
- White to play
But if it is White to play in the original position, he can win by zugzwang:
1. Kc6! and now Black must move his king, for example
1..... Kd8
3. Kb7 and queens the pawn.