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Very good, like both of those.

A striking Zugzwang game today: Firouzja-Arjun Erigaisi (m/5) (1-0) from semifinals of Esports World Cup 2025.

Evoked memories of Saemisch-Nimzovich (0-1), Copenhagen 1923 ("the immortal Zugzwang game") but with colo(u)rs reversed.

Arjun resigned with equal material, in a ghastly position where all candidate moves were losing.

I was curious to see if Zugzwang had ever been clued, and sure enough it was, here in the FT…

https://www.fifteensquared.net/2020/04/14/financial-times-16450-by-hamilton/

Thanks, jono. I once briefly considered Zugzwang as a PR/Clueless candidate, but thought it'd be too obscure and never googled ("zugzwang site:fifteensquared.net").
Arjun's play in this (rapid, must-win) game was not strong enough to rank the encounter as a "classic".

I found this from Dr Google:

Korchnoi zugzwang traps retreating piece (3)

Not sure about the FT's definition of ZUGZWANG as 'game blockade'. In chess it's when a player may have several moves at his disposal but all of them lose, whereas if he were allowed not to move there is no way for his opponent to win.
That is devilishly difficult to define pithily. The direct translation is 'compulsion to move' but that does not convey the full sense, especially in chess.

Good to meet jigjag spectating at the British Chess Championships in Liverpool where a loss in the last round of the Over-65s left me a disappointing =44th out of 81 players when my starting rank was 35th. WDLDDDL. At least I got to play IM Craig Pritchett. I was also pleased to discover jigjag's identity and have thus been able to confirm his suspicion (see Pedants United thread) that we had previously played each other. He is also right about the venue: Hastings. It was 3rd January 1978 and the game was eventually drawn. Computer evaluation ruthlessly reveals how inaccurately we play. I had a winning advantage in this position, me to move as white:
1rb1qrk1
1p2pp1p
p2p1bp1
n1pN4
P1PP4
3Q2P1
1P1NPPBP
3R1RK1
Play went 15 Qc3? a move too soon, thinking I could win the black knight. Better is 15 Nxf6+! exf6 16 Qc3 Nc6 17 Ne4 ...
After 15 Qc3? Bxd4! 16 Qxa5 b6 17 Nxb6 Qd8 18 Nb3 Qxb6 jigjag had the advantage for the rest of the game but eventually gave up trying to win a rook ending with an extra pawn. Final position after 51 Rb8:
1R6
16
3r1kpp
4p3
6PK
5P2
8

The Liverpool tournament was really well organised in the magnificent St George's Hall. The technology is fantastic nowadays with all games, right down to the Under-8s streamed and still available on the ECF website here: https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/bcc-2025-where-to-follow-the-games/
A marvellous resource for chess coaches.

Paul

Yes it was good to meet after 40-odd years. I had not seen Povah, Pritchett and a few others for that long also.

I suppose you could have got some extra half-points here and there. I thought you were going to draw with Pritchett.

Thanks for the notes of our game. I will have a look at it tomorrow. I have not taken the trouble to keep my scoresheets, just a few score-books as a junior.

I agree about the magnificent venue. We hold the annual Merseyside schools tournament there every year (400 children). I usually help on the day. Bob Clark, who played in your section, is one of the organisers.

I enjoyed the 2 days I spent there, and also following the event at home, with the fantastic technology as you say.

Paul, jigjag

Thanks for your posts. I went for a couple of hours one day. I agree, what a venue! I saw Paul in action but I did not see him away from the board unfortunately.

Paul

Thanks, I have looked at it, but I have no recollection of the game or any of the others I played at Hastings from 1970/71 to 1983/84.

I am glad I found 15...Bxd4. I dont suppose I saw it earlier. It looks like it might have been a KID Panno which I mis-played. I dont know why I did not play on for a win. I suppose I knew it was a draw, and did not want another adjournment. Great days. We sometimes played bridge in the evening with grandmasters in their hotel

I was far stronger then than now, as we all were. A few of us from Chester went to Hastings every year. You might remember R.E. Evans and R.A. Walker