ZUGZWANG

The German word for move compulsion. A player is said to be in Zugzwang when any move he makes will result in the loss of a piece or otherwise seriously weakens his position, although the opponent presents no concrete threat. An obligation to move, a compulsion to move under pressure, where any move leads to a serious weakening of the position. In chess, a player has the right and obligation to move wherever he likes. The idea of Zugswang is the making of a forced move which, supposed to be an asset, becomes a liability.