"Zugzwang"

"Zugzwang," a thriller written by Ronan Bennet, was shortlisted for the Irish Novel of the Year Award in 2008.  I would probably never have heard of it except my daughter and her English husband left it behind after a visit to the States last year and asked me to donate it to the local library.  I decided to read it first and took it on a recent trip with me.

"Zugzwang" (for those of you who like me don't have a clue what it means) was defined at the beginning of the book:  "Derived from the German,Zug (move) + Zwang (compulsion,obligation).  In chess it is used to describe a position in which a player is reduced to a state of utter helplessness.  He is obliged to move,but every move only makes his position even worse."

Chess plays an important part in this novel but the definition of Zugzwang also describes very well the position our hero, Dr.Otto Spethmann -- a famous psychoanalyst -- finds himself in when he and his daughter are implicated in a murder.

While he's being investigated, he's also treating some new patients:  1) a beautiful married woman he finds himself attracted to and 2) a brilliant disturbed chess master.

He has an ongoing chess game with a friend who is a world-renown musician and, as a widower, a difficult relationship with his college age daughter.

All of these combine to throw him into a personal "Zugzwang" where his choices are limited and not always the best alternatives.  Although I found it hard to follow the chess, I did enjoy the intrigue and would love to read another Bennet book if I am able to locate one in the States.  pazt