Word of the Day - 09/22/25
zugzwang
/ˈzʌɡzwæŋ/(n.): a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage
In the final moments of the chess match, the grandmaster found himself in zugzwang, every possible move leading to an immediate loss.
Word Origin
The word 'zugzwang' originates from German. It is a compound word derived from 'Zug' (pronounced tsook), meaning 'move', and 'Zwang' (pronounced tsfang), meaning 'compulsion' or 'force'. The term literally translates to 'move compulsion' or 'compulsion to move'. It is primarily used in chess to describe a situation where a player is forced to make a disadvantageous move, as any possible move will worsen their position.
Other words of German origin used in chess include 'Zwischenzug' (an intermediate move, especially an unexpected one before an anticipated exchange or capture) and 'Zeitnot' (time trouble, a situation where a player has very little time left on the clock).