Zugzwang

Zugzwang: A situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost pieces or have a damaging positional effect or A situation in a chess game in which a player is forced to make an undesirable or disadvantageous move.

According to Nimzowitsch, writing in the Wiener Schachzeitung in 1925, this term originated in "Danish chess circles.” But the man who popularized the word was the immortal Aaron Nimzowitsch himself in his classical books “My System” and “Chess Praxis.”

Today I want to show you the “Zugzwang Immortal Game” between Saemisch-Nimzowitsch, Copenhagen 1923. Harry Golombek called it the “finest possible example of Zugzwang.” Fred Reinfeld considered it Nimzowitsch’s “most famous game.”

It seems Alekhine studied “My System”, and he applied the same method to the propagator! In the game Alekhine-Nimzowitsch, San Remo 1930, we will see another impressive zugzwang, this time with Nimzowitsch as victim!

Homework!!