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Rules of Chess: Check, Mate, and Stalemate. Answers to frequently asked questions.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]How is it that a pawn promoted to rook can be won, but in the same position, if said pawn was promoted queen, it can be a draw? Can the same moves not be made to achieve mate?
In response to the comment on 2004-02-16, those five material combinations are not the only ways to get checkmate, if the opponent has pieces in addition to his/her king. For example, if White has a king on a1 and a rook on b1, and Black has a king on a3 and a knight on b4, Black can checkmate with ...Nc2#. For K+N+N vs. K, it is possible (albeit unlikely) that the stronger side can checkmate, if the lone king has backed up into the corner, so such a postion is not an automatic draw. However, it is likely that the 50-move rule will be invoked before checkmate. If a rook's pawn is impeded by a lone enemy king, the game is not neccesarily drawn. For example, White has a king on a1 and a pawn on a2, and Black has a king on a3. It is White's turn. Black has just managed to get in front of the pawn with ...Ka3. The game can continue 1. Kb1 Kb4 2. Kb2 Kc4 3. a4 Kd5 4. a5 Kd6 5. a6 Kd7 6. a7 Kd8 7. Kc3 Dd7 8. Kd4 Kd8 9. Kd5 Ke7 10. Kc6 Kd8 11. Kd6 Ke8 12. Ke6 Ke8 13. Kf6 Kg8 14. Kg6 Kh8 15 a8R#. This of course does not assume best play for both sides. If draws were declared based on that, a game would be a draw from starting position!
ANSWERS PLENTY OF BEGINNER CHESS QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ivan DEMAN wrote on Tue, May 11, 2004 10:03 AM UTC:Simply remark that K & Q vs. K & R is winning for the Queen (except if K&R have perpetual check, or can capture the queen in the very first move)
Anonymous wrote on Mon, Feb 16, 2004 08:38 PM UTC:Stalemate is not the only way a draw can be achieved in the game. The triple repetition rule ends the game in a draw (1/2 - 1/2), but not a stalemate. In other words, stalemate is only one type of draw possible. The triple repetition is not achieved when one player moves a piece in the same square three times, for then a losing player could force the game into a draw rather easily. Triple repetition is achieved when the same board position (meaning all of the same piece types of the same color are on the same squares) is reached for the third time in a single game. --- To checkmate, a player must have one or more of the following: 1) K & Q, 2) K & R, 3) K & B & B, 4) K & B & N, 5) K & P. K & N & N can not force a mate. Also if in K & P vs. K, if the pawn is on either of the rook files (a- or h- files) and the side with just the king is able get the king on that file (in front of the pawn, impeding the advance of the pawn), the game is drawn, by definition, as if continued, the only possible outcome is stalemate. There are also a few situations, in tournament play, when a draw can be claimed by a player to a neutral arbitrator (i.e.: tournament steward), when a player has 'insufficient losing chances'. Examples of such are, but not limited to: 1) K & R vs. K & R, 2) K & Q vs. K & R, 3) K & B & B vs. K & B, provided that a piece can not be immediately captured to set up one of the five situations above. --- If a player is put in a position where only the king can move, it is a draw after 50 moves (50 for white and 50 for black, totalling 100) without it being placed in checkmate. However, when counting the 50 moves, the count must restart when a pawn is moved or a piece or pawn is captured. So, if a player is unable to mate the king after 49 moves, the player may choose to simply push a pawn, to get another 50 tries. See 'The 50 moves rule' for more on this.
If after a player is put in a position where only the king can move, after 15 moves without being placed in checkmate, is it an automatic stalemate?
Great page. You explained things quite clearly. But I think it needs more advanced stuff, like the rules on when you can declare a draw, what combinations of material could be considered insufficient mating material, and other things which are unclear to most intermediate chess players. Could you post these things?
Anonymous wrote on Fri, Aug 1, 2003 06:16 PM UTC:about stalemate. a player moves three consecutive times to the same square. Chechmate?
Tom Shelton, Sr. wrote on Fri, Jun 27, 2003 09:34 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★We had a problem with 'Stalemate' or 'Check' ... your first diagram in a user friendly example asnwered the question. If a 'piece' is guarding its King from being 'in check', then that piece is 'anchored', i.e., cannot leave its post (not until his King has relocated?). So we had a 'Check' thanks to your demo. Respectfully, Tom
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