Chess rules · beginner
Stalemate and Other Draws
Not every game has a winner.
touch_appLearn it by doing: read the short explanation, then play it on the board.
The rule
Stalemate: the player to move has no legal moves but is NOT in check. The game is a draw! When you're winning, be careful not to stalemate your opponent.
Other draws: • Both sides agree to a draw. • The same position repeats three times. • 50 moves pass with no capture and no pawn move. • Neither side has enough pieces to checkmate (e.g. king vs king, or king + bishop vs king).
Practise it
- Stalemate and other draws: Not every game has a winner.
- Mate, Don't Stalemate: One accurate move mates. Two careless ones leave Black with no legal moves, which is a draw.
Check yourself
Black to move. What is this position?add
Stalemate (draw). Black isn't in check but has no legal move: stalemate, a draw.
King + bishop vs a lone king. What happens?add
Draw: not enough material to mate. A king and a single bishop can't force checkmate: it's a draw.
Black to move. What is this?add
Stalemate (draw). The black king on a8 has no safe square and isn't in check: stalemate.
Tips
- Stalemate = no legal moves and NOT in check.
- Your king already covers g7 and h7. Which queen move checks along the 8th rank?
Why it matters
Qb8#. Your king covers g7 and h7, and the queen covers the whole 8th rank. Careful: Qb3?? or Qa2?? take away g8 without giving check, which is stalemate.