given normal circumstances, if you had a king and a pawn and your opponent ran out of time whereas he had 10 queens, you would still win because you can checkmate a king by using a king and a pawn (later a queen). However if it was your lone king you can not deliver checkmate. The same applies if you had 2 knights and your opponent ran out of time. Its declared a draw on insufficient material
Opponent runs out of time, but its a draw?
Sort:
Jun 12, 2010
0
#3
So, the time aspect of a timed game only applies if the person that still has time left has the opportunity to mate...?
Jun 12, 2010
0
#4
The official FIDE Laws of Chess are probably more comprehensive than you realise (see section 10.5). Some other discussions here (e.g. draw-by-insufficient-material2) point up the hidden complexity of this aspect of the game.
Jun 12, 2010
0
#5
Thanks, folks. I'm not glad to get a draw, because prior to recognizing this rule, I thought that in a timed game, the person that ran out of time lost. So, before understanding this rule, I have been playing sloppily at the end game when I knew my opponent was just about out of time. To me (a greenhorn, I admit), it doesn't make sense to time a game, if there is no penalty for not finishing in the alloted time..... but, that's just me...
Jun 12, 2010
0
#6
When does it not become blitz? I was playing a ten minute game, which, for a quick sit-down at the computer seems like plenty of time. I still had over three minutes left, and clearly, now I realize I blew it. Thanks, everyone.
Jun 12, 2010
0
#7
AnthonyCG wrote:
Hillarious :P
And yeah, I ran into this issue a while back, too. I think the only way that happens is if you have only a king and your opponent runs out of time... I think in all other circumstances an "insufficient material" draw would be called as soon as it is reached. i.e. if your opp has king and bishop vs your king, it draws automatically, and doesn't wait for someone to run out of time.
Jun 12, 2010
0
#8
If this is the case, do you always have a chance to win if you just have a pawn and a king? Or are there scenarios that your opponent cannot possibly lose? If so, why doesn't the computer call the game for the player who is dominating so much that there is no chance they can lose?
Jun 12, 2010
0
#9
I read the link from above. I guess as long as you have a pawn, you're still in the game......
TheBone1 wrote:
I have been playing sloppily at the end game when I knew my opponent was just about out of time. To me (a greenhorn, I admit), it doesn't make sense to time a game, if there is no penalty for not finishing in the alloted time..... but, that's just me...
The idea is that one should also be penalized for playing sloppily. Talent first, speed second.
Jun 12, 2010
0
#11
Shouldn't my opponent be penalized for trying to snap up pieces at the end, when he is running out of time, and the only way he can beat me is to mate me?
?? If he can mate you then he will mate you, and get a win instead of a draw... if he can't mate you but can snap up your pieces, its your problem for hanging all your pieces.
TheBone1:
he is penalized because although he is the better one, he can not convert it to victory.
It seems to me that you are more interested in time than the actual chess game.
Even if you have a sufficient material, when in time difficulty your opponent can claim a draw if he can prove that you do not play to win. Of course this rule is not implemented here as it needs to be verified by the arbiter. I would be very interested if someone has more information and the actual games that was declared draw using that rule.
Jun 12, 2010
0
#14
What is the purpose of having a time limit in a game? Also, how can one claim that an opponent is better if they cannot force a win in a game in the agreed upon time limit? I will say, again, that I understand that it was poor of me not to take better care of my pieces in the end-game.... I think I basically understand how you all feel about this.. Like I said, just trying to learn, and this has been a good lesson.
"What is the purpose of having a time limit in a game?" Well if there weren't a time limit then he would have eventually checkmated you after taking all your pieces, so it does have a purpose.
The time limit provides regulation of how long each move will be. While it makes sense to not give your opponent a win for a potential check mate if they time it; it also doesn't make sense to give you a win if you don't have material to win in infinite time.
Jun 29, 2010
0
#17
ivandh wrote:
"What is the purpose of having a time limit in a game?" Well if there weren't a time limit then he would have eventually checkmated you after taking all your pieces, so it does have a purpose.
And if my aunt had ....... she'd.......
Jul 1, 2010
0
#18
Estragon wrote:
I witnessed one tournament - in Maryland in 1973 - where a fire broke out in the hotel kitchen, alarms went off and evacuation was ordered, smoke was starting to come into the playing hall, but one player refused to leave or allow his opponent to stop the clock. The opponent resolved this by grabbing the clock and taking it with him!
LOL... you're so lucky to have been able to witness that... I think I might have passed out laughing and then died from smoke inhalation.
Estragon wrote:
The rules are very clear, and apply both online and in over the board classical tournaments. To claim a win on time, you must have possible mating material. This means it doesn't have to be forced, a King and Knight vs a King and Knight is a win, because it is possible to mate with worst play (White to play Kg6, Ne5 vs Black Kh8, Ng8, White plays Nf7 mate). BUT if you have a King and Knight against a lone King, it's a draw because there is no possible mate you can achieve, even with worst play.
So whenever you have a lone King and nothing else and the opponent's flag falls, it will be draw.
Those are the rules, and have been the rules for some time now. The clock is secondary in chess to the situation on the board. In a live OTB event with standard clocks and pieces, if the opponent delivers mate as his flag falls, he wins because mate on the board ends the game (online or with DGT boards, he loses [or draws as in your case] because the software won't let him complete the mating move).
If you don't like the rules, join the club! There are people who don't believe it is fair that White moves first (and as late as the 19th Century, players alternated first moves in a series of games by letting Black move first half the time instead of changing the pieces around for color). Some don't like the touch-move rules. Some hate that the opponent can stop the clocks to seek a ruling - I witnessed one tournament - in Maryland in 1973 - where a fire broke out in the hotel kitchen, alarms went off and evacuation was ordered, smoke was starting to come into the playing hall, but one player refused to leave or allow his opponent to stop the clock. The opponent resolved this by grabbing the clock and taking it with him!
But those ARE the rules. They're just like life - live it, or live with it!
So with 2 knights vs a king and a time out you should win? (because there is helpmate with 2 knights). I didn't know this.
Jul 1, 2010
0
#20
king + 2 knights is NOT a draw. Only king v king, king + knight or bishop v king, or king + bishop(s) v king + bishop(s) if all the bishops are on indentical coloured squares. Only positions where it is impossible to win are considered draws.
However, this doesn't mean trying to time your opponent out in a king + knight v king + knight endgame would be accepted in tournament settings. Your opponent could protest and call the arbiter who would declare the game a draw on account of you not trying to win the game through normal means. Online however, you could get away with this, but it would be pretty disrespectful. The fide laws of chess are widely considered the offical laws of chess, and taking advantage of how they aren't enforced on chess sites (chess.com can't arbitrate every match) seems pretty unsportsmenlike to me.
Not a big deal. But I don't understand if I have 3:00 plus minutes left on my turn, and my opponent is just using his queen to snap up all my remaining pieces, but has no chance to mate me, and runs out of time, while I just have my king left, why is it a draw? Like I said, I don't care, I just don't understand.