[4] More generally, the term can also be used to describe a situation where none of the available options lead to a good outcome.
[9] The concept of zugzwang was known to chess players many centuries before the term was coined, appearing in an endgame study published in 1604 by Alessandro Salvio, one of the first writers on the game, and in shatranj studies dating back to the early 9th century, over 1000 years before the first known use of the term.
According to John Nunn, positions of reciprocal zugzwang are surprisingly important in the analysis of endgames.
[10][11] The word comes from German Zug 'move' + Zwang 'compulsion', so that Zugzwang means 'being forced to make a move'.
Games like chess and checkers have "zugzwang" (or "zugpflicht"): a player must always make a move on their turn even if this is to their disadvantage.
[8] Pages 353–358 of the September 1858 Deutsche Schachzeitung had an unsigned article "Zugzwang, Zugwahl und Privilegien".
Friedrich Amelung employed the terms Zugzwang, Tempozwang and Tempozugzwang on pages 257–259 of the September 1896 issue of the same magazine.
[9] The term did not become common in English-language chess sources until the 1930s, after the publication of the English translation of Nimzowitsch's My System in 1929.
The concept of zugzwang is also seen in the 1585 endgame study by Giulio Cesare Polerio, published in 1604 by Alessandro Salvio, one of the earliest writers on the game.
"[17] François-André Danican Philidor wrote in 1777 of the position illustrated that after White plays 36.Kc3, Black "is obliged to move his rook from his king, which gives you an opportunity of taking his rook by a double check [sic], or making him mate".
[19] The British master George Walker analyzed a similar position in the same endgame, giving a maneuver (triangulation) that resulted in the superior side reaching the initial position, but now with the inferior side on move and in zugzwang.
[20] Paul Morphy is credited with composing the position illustrated "while still a young boy".
Zugzwang typically occurs when "the player to move cannot do anything without making an important concession".
Zugzwang is a mainstay of chess compositions and occurs frequently in endgame studies.
Some zugzwang positions occurred in the second game of the 1971 candidates match between Bobby Fischer and Mark Taimanov.
[34] This position from a 1988 game between Vitaly Tseshkovsky and Glenn Flear at Wijk aan Zee shows an instance of "zugzwang" where the obligation to move makes the defense more difficult, but it does not mean the loss of the game.
[39][40] An extreme type of reciprocal zugzwang, called trébuchet, is shown in the diagram.
[45] Alex Angos notes that, "As the number of pieces on the board increases, the probability for zugzwang to occur decreases.
According to Nimzowitsch, writing in the Wiener Schachzeitung in 1925, this term originated in "Danish chess circles".
[8] Some consider the final position to be an extremely rare instance of zugzwang occurring in the middlegame.
[52] Wolfgang Heidenfeld thus considers it a misnomer to call this a true zugzwang position.
This game between Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker in the 1896–97 World Chess Championship,[54] is an early example of zugzwang in the middlegame.
Attempting to push the f-pawn to promotion with 35.f6 loses the bishop: 35...Rxg5 36. f7 Rg2+, forcing mate.
(second diagram) Now all of White's piece moves allow checkmate or ...Rxf2 with a crushing attack (e.g. 31.Qxf3 Qh2#; 31.Rb1 Rxf2 32.Qxg4 Qh2#).
[60] 0–1 In this 1959 game[61] between future World Champion Bobby Fischer and Héctor Rossetto, 33.Bb3!
[63] The game concluded: Jonathan Rowson coined the term Zugzwang Lite to describe a situation, sometimes arising in symmetrical opening variations, where White's "extra move" is a burden.
This doesn't matter much, but it already points to the challenge that White faces here; his most natural continuations allow Black to play the moves he wants to.
Another instance of Zugzwang Lite occurred in Lajos Portisch–Mikhail Tal, Candidates Match 1965, again from the Symmetrical Variation of the English Opening, after 1.
Rfc1 Rc8 Although the pawn structure is still symmetrical, Black's control of the c-file gives him the advantage.
[66] Black ultimately reached an endgame two pawns up, but White managed to hold a draw in 83 moves.