Zugzwang (German for compulsion to move) is a situation found in chess and other games wherein one player is put at a disadvantage because they must make a move when they would prefer to pass and not move. The fact that the player is compelled to move means that their position will become significantly weaker. A player is said to be "in Zugzwang" when any possible move will worsen their position.
Although the term is used less precisely in chess, it is used specifically in combinatorial game theory to denote a move that directly changes the outcome of the game from a win to a loss. Putting the opponent in Zugzwang is a common way to help the superior side win a game, and in some cases, it is necessary in order to make the win possible.
The term was used in German chess literature in 1858 or earlier and the first known use of the term in English was by World Champion Emanuel Lasker in 1905. The concept of Zugzwang was known for centuries before the term was coined, appearing in an endgame study published in 1604 by Salvio, one of the first writers on the game.
Positions with Zugzwang occur fairly often in endings, especially K and P endgames. Zugzwang in the middlegame is an anomaly. The most famous examples in the middlegame are probably Alekhine-Nimzovich, San Remo 1930 and the Immortal Zugzwang Game, Saemisch-Nimzovich, Copenhagen 1923. How odd is it that Nimovich was a victim twice?
In the following game which appeared in Chernev’s The Chess Companion he wrote, “Even the great Houdini could not have wriggled out of this paralyzing Zugzwang.” The game was played in the Kautsky Memorial, Prague 1927.
I was unable to unearth much information about the tournament or the players except that it was held in memory of the Czech player Vaclav Kautsky (1880-1924).
The participants were Karel Hromadka, Ladislv Prokes, Carlos Skalicka, Joseph Rejfir, Bedrich Thelen, Frantisek Prokop, Jan Schulz Sr. and Frantisek Treybel, but I am not sure that is the order of finish.
Nor was I able to find anything about the players, Jan Schulz, Sr. (May 1899 – May 1953) and Bedrich Thelen (May 1905 – July 1972). Black’s play was pretty weak, but it’s still amusing to watch him get himself all tangled up to the point that he doesn’t have a single reasonable move.
[Event "Kautsky Memorial, Prague"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1927.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jan Schulz Sr"]
[Black "Bedrich Thelen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteELO "?"]
[BlackELO "?"]
%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
{Sicilian Scheveningen} 1. Nc3 c5 2. e4 Nc6 3. Nf3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6
6. a4 Qc7 7. Be2 Nf6 8. O-O Be7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qd2 d6 {The Scheveningen
Variation is characterized by black setting up the small center with Ps on d6
and e6 and there are several move orders by which it can be reached. Black
has a solid defensive setup, control of the critical d5 and e5 squares, and
retains flexibility to break in the center with either ...e5 or ...d5.} 11.
Nb3 { Equally good is 11.f4. Black generally plays 11...b6 , but 11...Ne5 and
11... Bd7 are also playable. Instead, black embarks on a plan of fiddle
faddle that does nothing to further his development.} 11... Kh8 12. a5 {White
is going to plant a piece on b6 which black is unable to prevent. Now, if
black plays 12...Bd7 13.Bb6 (13.Na4? loses the e-Pawn) and black's hope of
Q-side play has been nipped in the bud.} 12... Nd7 13. Na4 {This moves doesn't
prevent white from getting a piece to b6, so he should have tried 13...Nf6
(admitting that his last move was a time waster) followed by 14...Bd7. At
least white's advantage is not nearly so great.} 13... Bd8 14. Nb6 Nxb6 15.
axb6 Qb8 {This ends up being probably the worst square for the Q.} 16. Rfd1
Be7 17. c4 Nd8 {Given time black would probably like to get all his pieces on
the back rank with ...Rg8 and ...Bf8 (That's a joke).} 18. c5 dxc5 19. Bxc5
Nc6 20. Bxe7 Nxe7 21. Qb4 {Black's position is beyond repair.} 21... Ng6 22.
Rd6 h6 23. Rad1 Kh7 24. g3 Ne7 25. Na5 f5 { Black finally makes a bit for some
play...but only after Stockfish is evaluating his position at minus 10!} 26.
Rd8 Rxd8 27. Rxd8 Ng6 28. exf5 exf5 29. f4 {The only move that doesn't
immediately lose something is 29...Nh8, but after 30.Qf8 black can only delay
mate.} 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment