What is stalemate in chess?
Stalemate is when the player to move has no legal move but isn’t in check. It’s a draw. Learn to spot it and avoid throwing away a win. Check and checkmate · lesson 3 of 3.
The lesson in words
It’s Black’s turn. The black king isn’t in check, but every square it could go to is attacked, and Black has no other pieces.
That’s stalemate: the player to move has no legal move and is not in check. The game is a draw.
Careful here: some queen moves leave Black with no move at all.
Try it: Checkmate, without stalemating.
Always check your opponent has a move left. Next unit: the special moves.
Questions
Who wins this game?
Nobody. Stalemate is a draw however many pieces you have, so it’s the classic way to throw away a win.