Zwischenzug, a chess term of German origin meaning "intermediate move," refers to a tactic in which a player, instead of responding to a threat with the expected move, makes an even bigger threat to which his opponent must respond immediately.  The idea is, through the ensuing move or moves, to counteract or negate the original threat in order to achieve a position of advantage in the end.

On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump entered onto this multidimensional, international chessboard.  His political opponents at home continued to launch barrages of virtually never-ending attacks on his intelligence and mental well-being.

Robert Reich argued in his article titled "Seriously, How dumb is Trump?" that Trump has a gift for conning people but beyond that is utterly stupid "in every other dimension of his being."  Bill Maher even called Trump an orangutan.  

Joe Scarborough claimed that Trump is suffering from early stages of dementia.  Democrats in Congress dug out Dr. Bandy Lee to brief them on this "emergency."  Trump's mental state is "a danger to us all," Lee warned.  His mental state is "further unraveling," she explained in her book.

What exactly spurred such concern over Trump's health, we may never know.  Maybe the worry started when Trump collapsed as he was entering his van.

In any event, Trump harnessed all of these attacks and exploited them in the one problem set where such a diagnosis might prove advantageous: North Korea.

Trump, by using a three-pronged approach, convinced North Korea that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

First, he wielded the country's awesome military strength by sending no fewer than five aircraft-carriers to the Pacific in order to prepare for potential military strikes on North Korea.

Second, Trump put significant economic pressure on China in order to gain further leverage over North Korea.

Third, Trump convinced Kim Jong-un that none of this was a bluff.  Indeed, his statements were strong and demonstrated great resolve.

The likes of Reich, Maher, Scarborough, and Lee certainly added to Trump's effectiveness as they insisted that Trump was stupid and crazy enough to confront North Korea.

In the end, these checkers players may actually become unwitting accomplices to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the end of a terrible war that claimed over one million lives, a lasting peace, and prosperity in the region.

Thanks, guys!

Notwithstanding, Trump will no doubt get the lion's share of credit for any success that may come out of this historic summit.  Who knew that such a stupid man who suffers from dementia could play chess so well?