zugzwang

See also: Zugzwang

English

WOTD – 23 March 2007

Etymology

From German Zugzwang, from Zug (“move”) +‎ Zwang (“compulsion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzʌɡzwæŋ/, /ˈzuːɡzwæŋ/, /ˈtsuːktsvaŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

zugzwang (countable and uncountable, plural zugzwangs or zugzwänge)

1. (chess) A situation in which a player is forced to make a disadvantageous move.
2. in figurative uses
   • 2002: Carl Friedrich Graumann and Werner Kallmeyer [eds.], Perspective and Perspectivation in Discourse, page 174

     An explanation for this phenomenon may be that speech acts that include instructions (e.g., a command or request) show a higher level of activity than speech acts of assertion; the ethnomethodological analysis of conversation speaks of conversational Zugzwänge:²⁴ a request, a question or a command demands a reaction of the addressee.

Usage notes

Zugzwang typically refers to a situation in which a player is forced to make a disadvantageous move though he or she would prefer not to make a move.

Alternative forms

• Zugzwang

Translations

lack of choice in what to do

• Azerbaijani: suqsvanq
• Danish: træktvang c
• Dutch: zetdwang (nl) m
• Finnish: siirtopakko (fi)
• French: zugzwang (fr) m
• German: Zugzwang (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: כפאי m (kfai)
• Italian: zugzwang m
• Norwegian: trekktvang
• Russian: цугцва́нг (ru) m (cugcváng)
• Spanish: zugzwang m
• Swedish: dragtvång (sv) n

Further reading

• zugzwang on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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French

Etymology

From German Zugzwang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tsuɡts.vaŋɡ/

Noun

zugzwang m (plural zugzwangs)

1. (chess) zugzwang