Rundlauf (chess)
Encyclopedia
A Rundlauf in chess
is a thematic motif which occurs rarely in over the board play and occasionally is the subject of a chess composition or chess problem. A rundlauf is the movement of a single piece in a geometric shape such as a square or diamond, which accomplishes either a tactical or strategic goal (perhaps "round-trip" would be a good English equivalent to the German.) The idea often involves zugzwang
, or repeating a position in order to create zugzwang, though it does not necessarily have to involve zugzwang. A famous example of a rundlauf is the well known endgame study the Saavedra position
. One simple example of such a pattern is "triangulation"
in a king and pawn endgame, such as in the diagrammed position.
Here, the white king triangulates and thus loses a move in order to put Black in zugzwang. The winning idea continues 1.Kd5 Kc8 2. Kd4 Kd8 3.Kc4 Kc8 4.Kd5 Kc7 5.Kc5 and the rundlauf is complete.
In Johnathan Levitt and David Friedgood's book entitled Secrets of Spectacular Chess, the Rundlauf is described as "the return of a piece to its initial square by a circuitous route. The piece usually describes a geometric figure, such as a rectangle..."
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
is a thematic motif which occurs rarely in over the board play and occasionally is the subject of a chess composition or chess problem. A rundlauf is the movement of a single piece in a geometric shape such as a square or diamond, which accomplishes either a tactical or strategic goal (perhaps "round-trip" would be a good English equivalent to the German.) The idea often involves zugzwang
Zugzwang
Zugzwang is a term usually used in chess which also applies to various other games. The term finds its formal definition in combinatorial game theory, and it describes a situation where one player is put at a disadvantage because he has to make a move when he would prefer to pass and make no move...
, or repeating a position in order to create zugzwang, though it does not necessarily have to involve zugzwang. A famous example of a rundlauf is the well known endgame study the Saavedra position
Saavedra position
The Saavedra position is one of the best known chess endgame studies. It is named after the Spanish priest Rev. Fernando Saavedra , who, while living in Glasgow in the late 19th century, spotted a win in a position previously thought to have been a draw...
. One simple example of such a pattern is "triangulation"
Triangulation (chess)
Triangulation is a tactic used in chess to put one's opponent in zugzwang. That is, it gets to the same position with the other player to move, when it is a disadvantage for that player to move, e.g. he has to give up a blockade and let the other player penetrate his position...
in a king and pawn endgame, such as in the diagrammed position.
Here, the white king triangulates and thus loses a move in order to put Black in zugzwang. The winning idea continues 1.Kd5 Kc8 2. Kd4 Kd8 3.Kc4 Kc8 4.Kd5 Kc7 5.Kc5 and the rundlauf is complete.
In Johnathan Levitt and David Friedgood's book entitled Secrets of Spectacular Chess, the Rundlauf is described as "the return of a piece to its initial square by a circuitous route. The piece usually describes a geometric figure, such as a rectangle..."