Why isn’t this checkmate?
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Caz2020
Dec 19, 2021
0
#1
Hey all, I’m fairly new to chess (mainly been playing the computer at intermediate level). I just played a game where to me it clearly looks like I put their king in checkmate, but the app told me it was a draw by stalemate, and I don’t understand why. Also trying to figure out how to post a pic…how can I show the forum the board?
Dec 19, 2021
0
#2
You said your game ended in Stalemate -- though you thought you checkmated your opponent.
To me that means it is your opponent's move and they have no legal moves and are NOT in check. If they were to be in check and can not get out of check, that is checkmate.
Dec 19, 2021
0
#3
So you can’t checkmate unless the king is in check first? I guess that confuses me because I thought that’s the very definition of checkmate: I had maneuvered my pieces so that the king couldn’t make any move.
Dec 19, 2021
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#4
Otherwise, why would anyone play on if all they have left is their King ? Stalemate is something to play for ! you better make sure your opponent has at least 1 legal move to play when you are that far ahead !
Dec 19, 2021
0
#5
Caz2020 wrote:
So you can’t checkmate unless the king is in check first? I guess that confuses me because I thought that’s the very definition of checkmate: I had maneuvered my pieces so that the king couldn’t make any move.
Yes, the king must be under attack for it to be checkmate. One good way to prevent stalemate in winning position is by making sure you check the opponent's king with every move.
Dec 20, 2021
0
#6
Caz2020 wrote:
So you can’t checkmate unless the king is in check first? I guess that confuses me because I thought that’s the very definition of checkmate: I had maneuvered my pieces so that the king couldn’t make any move.
Checkmate is when the king IS in check and has no way to get out of it.
However, when the king is NOT in check, and there are no legal moves then it's a draw by stalemate
Dec 20, 2021
0
#7
Hard to tell what you're talking about.
As others have pointed out, looking up the rules of stalemate will probably help a lot.
And in the future, if you want to put up a board, click on the chessboard icon that's above the textbox when you make a comment.
Dec 20, 2021
0
#9
Caz2020 wrote:
So you can’t checkmate unless the king is in check first? I guess that confuses me because I thought that’s the very definition of checkmate: I had maneuvered my pieces so that the king couldn’t make any move.
Note that in the starting position, the King already can't move.
The point of the game is to attack the King in a way that can't be defended. No attack, no checkmate.
BishopTakesH7 wrote:
Caz2020 wrote:
So you can’t checkmate unless the king is in check first? I guess that confuses me because I thought that’s the very definition of checkmate: I had maneuvered my pieces so that the king couldn’t make any move.
Yes, the king must be under attack for it to be checkmate. One good way to prevent stalemate in winning position is by making sure you check the opponent's king with every move.
That may be a good way to prevent stalemate, but it often results in draws due to three-fold repetition (of the position) or the 50-move draw (50 moves by both players with no captures or pawn moves).
Make sure the opponent has a move when you play a non-checking move and try to box the opponent in so that you can checkmate (in post 7, if the White queen was at g4 and the black king at f8 then Qd7 delivers checkmate the next move while any queen check allows the black king to move farther from the white king and easily reach a draw if all white does is check).
the king must be under attack with no legal moves for the game to end in checkmate
A question to Caz2020: what do you think "Endgame study" means?
If your opponent's king has no where to go, its stalemate. Draw.
raeanntty wrote:
If your opponent's king has no where to go, its stalemate. Draw.
well technically, no legal moves is stalemate - if they have 1 pawn to move a single space then it wouldn't be a draw just yet - so watch out for stalemate traps your opponent maybe trying to set up via sac sac sac
raeanntty wrote:
If your opponent's king has no where to go, its stalemate. Draw.
As MrCheesec4ke said.
After all, in the opening position neither king has anywhere they can legally move but it isn't stalemate.
jetoba wrote:
raeanntty wrote:
If your opponent's king has no where to go, its stalemate. Draw.
As MrCheesec4ke said.
After all, in the opening position neither king has anywhere they can legally move but it isn't stalemate.
fine analogy indeed!
You need your opponents king to be in check for checkmate. If your opponent's king is not in check, but your opponent has no legal moves with any piece, the game is a draw by stalemate. This rule has been philosophically questioned by some people, but allows the weaker side a resource in an otherwise hopeless position in many games.
For instance in this position, with white to move, white cannot win the game, despite having the extra pawn. White has two choices, abandon the pawn, or give stalemate with Ka6.
Cool
