Stalemate! A type of draw

Stalemate is a unique concept in the game of chess that even an experienced player might go through if not careful. It occurs when a player is not in check but has no legal moves available to make either. We then considered the game a draw, which can be both a blessing and a curse depending on the player's perspective.

Stalemate can happen in many scenarios. For example, while a player is trying to checkmate their opponent, the opponent may run out of moves to make or one may intentionally put their own king into stalemate while trying to defend against a check or an unfavourable situation. Regardless of how it happens, stalemate is always a possibility in every game of chess.

Stalemate can be both frustrating and exciting for players. It can be frustrating when a player is trying to win a game, only to have it end in a draw due to the stalemate concept. On the other hand, it can be exciting when a player is losing and manages to turn the game around with a stalemate concept, salvaging a draw instead of a loss.

If a game ends in a stalemate, then the points awarded is same as the draw, half points each. Let us see few examples of a stalemate.

In the example below, it's white to play. Black has simply too many pieces on board that it ends up making a mistake. It carelessly moves the pieces around, forgetting that it must leave at least one square for the white king to escape to when there is no check.

White king has no legal square to move to and also it's not in check. Hence, this is a stalemate. White was losing the position earlier but due to stalemate white draws from the game. This is exciting news to white while not so much for black. 

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Let us see one more example of a stalemate. In the below example, it's white to play. This is a typical Queen King V/S King ending stalemate. If you know the endgame technique on how to mate using Queen & King, then this stalemate can be avoided.

Here, the White king has no legal square to move to with no check from black as well. This is clearly a stalemate. Although black is in winning position, due to stalemate, it is now a draw.

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One more example of how stalemate looks like: In this position, it is now black to play. 

Black king has no legal squares to move to and also no check from white pieces. Black has one pawn, but the pawn is stuck and cannot be played forward. This is another case of stalemate where one has other piece apart from the king but cannot be moved due to no legal squares available.

We have seen how stalemate looks like. Now, let us see how to force a stalemate situation. Sometimes, it is necessary to create a stalemate, especially if you are losing. So how to create such a forced stalemate? 

Well, let's take a look at another example.

In this example, it's white to play. It is clear as a day that white is about to lose with only one rook while the opponent has a bishop and a queen to dominate the position. 

But white here can use the forced stalemate option to survive this situation.

1. Rxc3+

White rook is targeting king and queen. If the king moves to another place avoiding check, the queen is lost and white might win the game. So, here 1... Qxc3 is the only option black has to avoid losing the game.

For this, we can see that the white king has no legal moves left to play. The black queen is not giving a check to the white king. This means that the position is stalemated. Hence drawing the game. This is how we can create a forced stalemate.

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Now that we have seen a few stalemate positions, and how to force a stalemate. It is also important to know how to not fall into the trap of stalemate.

Tips to avoid stalemate:

1. Look for checkmate/check first: Always keep an eye out for ways to checkmate your opponent before attempting any other move. If not, go for checks at-least. In cases where you are under time pressure, you can choose to play checks to be safer than to make a move that is not giving any checks, after you have thought of a move that will secure checkmate, then you can go for that, this is one of the way to avoid a stalemate in high time pressure situations. Check and Checkmate are the ultimate goal in chess and will prevent a stalemate situation, as stalemate occurs only where there are no checks.
2. Don't rush: Avoid making hasty moves that could lead to a stalemate. Take your time to assess the position and plan your moves accordingly. Make sure there are legal squares available for the opponent king to move to or any other piece of opponent that can freely move.
3. Keep the pieces active: Keep your pieces active and avoid unnecessary exchanges that could lead to a stalemate, as we saw in forced stalemate example.
4. Practice endgame techniques: Stalemates often occur in the endgame, so it's important to practice endgame techniques to avoid them. Learn how to checkmate with different types of pieces to increase your chances of success.

Overall, stalemate adds an interesting and important element to the game of chess. It requires players to think carefully about their moves and consider all possible outcomes, making the game even more challenging and rewarding. Often experienced players also fall into the trap of the stalemate. Therefore, it is a very important topic to be aware of and to consider it during the gameplay.

So, the next time you find yourself in a position where stalemate is possible, remember that it could be the key to salvaging a draw or even turning the game in your favor!

If you have encountered stalemate positions in your games, do comment below this post and share your position with others!

Happy Learning!