What does stalemate look like in an example?
The black king stands in the corner on h8 with no other pieces. The white queen stands on g6 and the white king far away on f5. The king is not in check, because the queen does not attack it, but every square next to it, g8, g7 and h7, is attacked by the queen. Black has no move at all: it is stalemate and a draw, even though White is a queen up.
How does stalemate differ from checkmate?
In checkmate the king is in check with no defence, and the game ends with a win for the attacker. In stalemate the king is not in check, it simply has nowhere to go, and its player has no other piece that can move. The difference is a single square, and the result changes from a win to a draw.
How do you avoid stalemate when you are winning?
- When your opponent has only a king, check before every move that you leave it at least one square.
- Push the king to the edge of the board, but leave it one free square until mate is ready.
- Do not capture your opponent's last pawns without need if they could give them a move and save them from stalemate.
- With a queen, deliver mate together with your king, not with the queen alone.
How do you save a lost game with stalemate?
The losing side can deliberately aim for stalemate: leave itself a lone king in the corner, or give away its last pieces so that it has no move. A popular trick is a rook that keeps giving check and that the opponent cannot safely take, because capturing it would leave a stalemate.
