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. (figurative) A situation in which someone is forced to make a disadvantageous move
   • 2002, Carl Friedrich Graumann and Werner Kallmeyer, editor, Perspective and Perspectivation in Discourse‎^[1], 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 they would prefer not to make a move.

Alternative forms

• Zugzwang

Translations

lack of choice in what to do

• Armenian: ցուգցվանգ (hy) (cʻugcʻvang)
• Azerbaijani: suqsvanq
• Danish: træktvang c
• Dutch: zetdwang (nl) m
• Finnish: siirtopakko (fi)
• French: zugzwang (fr) m
• German: Zugzwang (de) m
• Hebrew: כפאי m (kfai)
• Italian: zugzwang m
• Norwegian: trekktvang
• Russian: цугцва́нг (ru) m (cugcváng)
• Spanish: zugzwang m, ducegio m
• Swedish: dragtvång (sv) n

Further reading

• zugzwang on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

From German Zugzwang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tsuɡts.vaŋɡ/

Noun

zugzwang m (plural zugzwangs)

1. (chess) zugzwang

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from German Zugzwang.

Noun

zugzwang m inan

1. (chess) zugzwang (situation in which a player is forced to make a disadvantageous move)

Declension

Declension of zugzwang

	singular	plural
nominative	zugzwang	zugzwangi
genitive	zugzwangu	zugzwangów
dative	zugzwangowi	zugzwangom
accusative	zugzwang	zugzwangi
instrumental	zugzwangiem	zugzwangami
locative	zugzwangu	zugzwangach
vocative	zugzwangu	zugzwangi

Further reading

• zugzwang in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• zugzwang in Polish dictionaries at PWN