Zugzwang

What is Zugzwang?

"Zugzwang" is a chess term meaning "being forced to move". It often arises in pawn endgames and other endgame situation. In this blog post we will go over a few common examples of Zugzwang.

Rook vs Bishop 

One of the most common types of Zugzwang is when the Bishop is interposed when the Rook checks. In this case, the side with the Rook can force Zugzwang.

Can you solve this puzzle involving a Zugzwang in a Rook vs Bishop endgame?

Good job if you solved it! In this case, white plays 1. Rb8, a waiting move. Then, black is forced to play 1. ... Kh8, and white has mate on the next move.

This example shows why it is very dangerous to interpose your Bishop to a check by the Rook in a Rook vs Bishop endgame.

The Trebuchet

The trebuchet is another common Zugzwang position in a pawn endgame that forces a side to lose a pawn, and the game.

In this case, black is forced to move his king and he will lose the pawn (though the position is still a draw with best play).

Can you solve this puzzle involving the trebuchet?

There are a lot more Zugzwangs that we haven't covered in this article. I suggest that you read up on them. Thanks for reading this blog post!