Comments on: Zugzwang Challenge http://9queens.org/2008/03/09/zugzwang-challenge/ Empowerment through Chess Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:12:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: siteman http://9queens.org/2008/03/09/zugzwang-challenge/#comment-143 siteman Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:26:14 +0000 http://9queens.org/2008/03/09/zugzwang-challenge/#comment-143 <strong>hello...</strong> super!... hello…

super!…

]]> By: Brian Castello http://9queens.org/2008/03/09/zugzwang-challenge/#comment-36 Brian Castello Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:30:09 +0000 http://9queens.org/2008/03/09/zugzwang-challenge/#comment-36 I think its great to have a Queens Academy and feature lessons on Zugzwang as this is such an important element of chess in playing endgames sucessfully and recognizing mating patterns. I see so many beginners get to endgame positions a rook or even a queen up unable to mate, gain material or force the King from safety because they concentrate on checking rather than using Zugzwang to force the opposing King away from its protection or vice versa. Although "Zug" does mean train in German, it comes from the word meaning "to pull" and in board games means "a move". Zwang is the past tense of "zwingen", to force or compel. Thus a Zugzwang is not a stopped train but a forced move. In chess there is always a compulsion to move. No matter how good your position is unless you have no legal move and are stalemated you must make a legal move, even if all legal moves are to your detriment. Zugzwang is the principle that you may not "pass" in chess. I think its great to have a Queens Academy and feature lessons on Zugzwang as this is such an important element of chess in playing endgames sucessfully and recognizing mating patterns. I see so many beginners get to endgame positions a rook or even a queen up unable to mate, gain material or force the King from safety because they concentrate on checking rather than using Zugzwang to force the opposing King away from its protection or vice versa. Although “Zug” does mean train in German, it comes from the word meaning “to pull” and in board games means “a move”. Zwang is the past tense of “zwingen”, to force or compel. Thus a Zugzwang is not a stopped train but a forced move. In chess there is always a compulsion to move. No matter how good your position is unless you have no legal move and are stalemated you must make a legal move, even if all legal moves are to your detriment. Zugzwang is the principle that you may not “pass” in chess.

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