zugzwang
/ˈzʌɡzwaŋ/ /ˈzuːɡzwaŋ/
noun
mass noun
Chess
A situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.
Origin
Early 20th century from German Zug ‘move’ + Zwang ‘compulsion’.
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To a pawn, life's inevitable zugzwang comes with no particular public notice.
