Zugzwang

by Karsten Müller
10/26/2021 – Zugzwang is a powerful endgame weapon, particularly against a passive knight. In the diagram position, White's knight is passive but how can Black bring White into zugzwang and win the game?

Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen Endgames of the World Champions from Fischer to Carlsen

Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

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Karsten Mueller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.


ChessBase Magazine #202

 

ChessBase Magazine Extra #201

 

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Mueller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Mueller

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

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Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 11/4/2021 02:19
Fred Davies: Good question. I think that Kupchik's 53.Ra7+? was a losing mistake and e.g.53.Be2 would still have drawn.
Fred Davies Fred Davies 10/31/2021 12:25
Dear Grandmaster

Always enjoy your expert series on difficult chess endings. Particularly the ones where you debate with the readers whether an ending was drawn or lost. Here is one for you. Take a look at A Kupchik v FJ Marshall New York 1915. In his book, My Best Games of Chess, Marshall claims that the sacrifice of a minor piece was justified in order to reach a won ending. But some of the silicon monsters appear to disagree. Who is right?

Sincerely yours

Fred Davies
Karsten Müller Karsten Müller 10/26/2021 04:43
Frits Fritschy: Yes I should have given 48.fxg4 Ke5 49.Nd3+ Kd5 50.Nf2 Kc4 51.Kd2 Kb3 52.Kc1 Bf1 53.Kb1 Kc4 54.Kc2 Kd4 55.Kd2 Bc4 and Black wins sooner or later using zugzwang again and again.
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 10/26/2021 10:02
You left us with a nice (but not overly difficult) puzzle how black wins after 48... fxg4.
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