Tags: chess stalemate, stalemate
Chess Stalemate
“A STALEMATE occurs when the side to move is not in check AND all possible moves place that side in check.“
“Since it is illegal to move into check, the side to move cannot move. BUT, the side to move is not in check, so it’s not checkmate.“
“The result: STALEMATE, which is considered to be a draw (neither side wins).“
“A good chess player must understand checkmate AND stalemate, the possibility of a stalemate.”
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. One of the rules of chess is that stalemate ends the game, with the result a draw. Often during the endgame, stalemate is a resource that enables the player with the inferior position to draw the game. In more complicated positions, stalemate is much rarer, usually taking the form of a swindle that succeeds only if the superior side is inattentive. Stalemate is also a common theme in endgame studies and other chess problems.
The outcome of a stalemate was standardized as a draw in the 19th century but, before that and depending on the location, it was sometimes deemed a win for the stalemating player, a half-win for that player, or even a loss for that player. In some times and places it either was not allowed or the stalemated player missed a turn.
Some regional chess variants have not allowed a player to play a stalemating move. In different versions of suicide chess, another chess variant, stalemate may or may not be treated as a draw.
The word “stalemate” is also used for a metaphor when a conflict has reached an impasse and resolution seems difficult or impossible, i.e. a no-win situation.
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