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Zugzwang
01
a term in chess used to describe a situation where a player would prefer to pass their turn and make no move, as any move they can make would put them in a weaker position or lead to an eventual loss
What is "zugzwang"?
Zugzwang is a situation in chess where a player is forced to make a move that will worsen their position, because any possible move leads to a disadvantage. In zugzwang, a player would prefer to pass their turn, but since that is not allowed, they must make a move that causes harm, often leading to a loss or a draw. This situation typically occurs in endgames, where the player has fewer pieces, and even a small move can change the outcome of the game.
Example
He felt like he was in zugzwang when he tried to make a decision but knew that whatever choice he made would have a negative outcome.
In that endgame, the opponent had no good moves left and was in zugzwang, which led to their loss.
I had to carefully avoid zugzwang, or my opponent would have had an easy checkmate.
