Geo-Politics and business is Zugzwang

Zugzwang…describes a situation where one player is put at a disadvantage because he has to make a move – the player would prefer to pass and make no move. The fact that the player must make a move means that his position will be significantly weaker than the hypothetical one in which it is his opponent's turn to move.

 

A player whose turn it is to move who has no move that does not worsen their position is said to be in zugzwang.

 

In a chess endgame, being in zugzwang usually means going from a drawn position to a loss or a won position to a draw, but it can be from a win to a loss, or a substantial loss of material which probably affects the outcome of the game.

 

Zugzwang

Wikipedia

I have studied the enemy all my life

 

I have read the memoirs of his generals and his leaders

 

I have even read his philosophers…

 

I have studied in detail the account of every damned one of his battles

 

I know exactly how he will react under any given set of circumstances

and he hasn’t the slightest idea of what I’m going to do

 

So when the time comes

I’m going to whip the hell out of him

 

George S Patton