Stalemate and draw in chess: five ways to a game without a winner

Stalemate is a situation in which the side on the move is NOT in check, but there is no legal move - the game immediately ends in a draw, regardless of who had the advantage. This is the most painful way for beginners to turn a sure win into half a point.

In short: Chess knows five ways to a draw - stalemate, consent of both players, insufficient material to checkmate, repeating the position three times and 50 moves without capturing or moving a pawn. On the board below you have a position in which one move with the queen results in checkmate and another - stalemate. Check both.

Checkmate or stalemate? Check it out live

White has the queen and the win in one move. Play the queen on c8 - checkmate. Come back and play c7 - stalemate and draw, despite the overwhelming advantage. This trap catches beginners in almost every queen endgame.

Stalemate: one difference, half a point

In both situations, the site on the move has no legal traffic. There is one difference: at checkmate the king is in check, at checkmate he is not. Checkmate is a win for the attacking side, stalemate is a draw for both. Therefore, when you have a big advantage, it is worth checking before each move: "does the opponent have ANY more moves after my move?"

All five types of draw

1. Pat: no legal move without check - the most common "accident at work" in winning endings.
2. Draw by consent: players simply agree - the most common draw in tournament practice.
3. Insufficient material: with only kings, a king with a bishop or a king with a knight, it is impossible to checkmate - the game ends automatically.
4. Repeat three times: the same position (with the same player on the move) appears a third time - this is where "eternal chess" draws come from.
5. The 50 move rule: fifty consecutive moves without any capture and without moving a pawn.

Stalemate as a weapon: defending the weaker side

Stalemate isn't just an accident - it's also a legal lifeline. The losing side can deliberately give up all the moving pieces or maneuver the king into a corner so that the opponent, in pursuit of checkmate, drives the losing side into a stalemate. In the end, the queen against the pawn on the penultimate line is often the main motive for defense. The ability to THREAT a stalemate is a real weapon - and the ability to avoid a stalemate is a must-have technique for the winning side.

How not to fall into a stalemate: the winner's checklist

• After each move, count your opponent's moves - if he only has the king left, make sure he HAS somewhere to go or that you are giving check.
• In the endgame with the queen, keep him at "knight's distance" from the opponent's king: it cuts off the squares, but leaves breathing room.
• Don't take every piece automatically - sometimes it's the opponent's last moving piece and capturing it means stalemate.

The difference between check, mate and stalemate in the broader context of the rules can be found on the website rules of chess, and we break down the checkmate into prime factors in the article about you're in check. You can practice the technique of mate with the queen without falling into a stalemate in the "Endgames" chapter. free course.

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