Stalemate
situation in chess when no legal move can be done by the player who has to do a move / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal move.
Example of stalemate
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
8 | 8 | ||||||||
7 | 7 | ||||||||
6 | 6 | ||||||||
5 | 5 | ||||||||
4 | 4 | ||||||||
3 | 3 | ||||||||
2 | 2 | ||||||||
1 | 1 | ||||||||
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
When stalemate occurs, the game is a draw. Actual stalemate is rare, but the threat of stalemate has a big effect on endgame play. Many K+R+P vs K+R endings are drawn when stalemate cannot be avoided. The existence of stalemate is a main reason why draws are common in chess, but rare in the chess derivative shogi.
In the old Persian form of chess, shatranj, stalemate was a win for the side with the most pieces. The idea of stalemate as a draw in modern chess took a long time to be agreed. It was finally decided by the early 19th century British master J.H. Sarratt in the London Chess Club rules of 1807.[1]