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Rules of Chess: Check, Mate, and Stalemate. Answers to frequently asked questions.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Anonymous wrote on Tue, Jan 18, 2011 03:46 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
Thanks for explaining this. I am new to chess and didn't really understand the difference between stalemate and checkmate. Still seems to be unfair to get someone to the point of stalemate and call the game a draw but at least I understand the rules now --

Anonymous wrote on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 01:43 PM UTC:
I'm playing my electronic chess game at the highest level and it has put
me in 'check',then I move out of 'check', then it puts me back in
'check'. And we are going back and forth, in'check and out of 'check'
and I'm moving my king in the same two squares. 
Is this considered a 'stalemate'? because I think my electronic chess
game wants me to move in a certain square so it can get me in
'checkmate', and I see what its trying to do.
Whats the ruling on this?

Jeremy Lennert wrote on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 06:30 PM UTC:
The sort of situation you describe generally results in a draw by one of two rules:

The first is the threefold repetition rule, which applies when the exact same game position is repeated three times.  For example, if you and your opponent are each moving back and forth between the same two spaces, once you have come back to your starting position after two full loops, the game can be declared a draw.

The second is the 50-move rule, which applies when there have been no captures or pawn advances (irreversible moves) for at least 50 consecutive moves of white and black.  This is invoked mostly in endgames where the board is very open and so it can take a very long time for (and be difficult to notice when) an exact position is repeated three times.

Of course, the game can end in a draw immediately if both players agree, which may cut these conditions short if it is obvious (for example) that the game is going to end in a perpetual check.

Jeff wrote on Sat, Jan 7, 2012 10:32 PM UTC:
An opponent calling Checkmate without the game ending results in forfeiture by the player calling the checkmate. You answered the question that if called accidentally the game would just continue. This is not correct. You can respond to [email protected].

hcl4 wrote on Wed, Oct 22, 2014 09:06 PM UTC:
What if the kings are the only pieces on the board

Ben Reiniger wrote on Wed, Oct 22, 2014 09:14 PM UTC:

@hcl4: Then it is a draw. The technical answer is from a related page, the 50 move rule: neither player can do much of anything and so 50 moves will pass without a capture or pawn move, and that rule will kick in to say the game is a draw. Of course, since this is bound to happen, both players should just agree now that the game is a draw.

Edit: Actually, looking around a bit more, it appears that (perhaps because of time controlled games) my technical explanation was incorrect. It is a draw because checkmate cannot possibly happen.


Liviu Chircu wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2014 01:55 PM UTC:
Thanks for the FAQ! I was curious about the consequences of accidentally "moving into check"! Nicely explained.

Bill Nye wrote on Wed, Feb 1, 2017 10:12 PM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
So me and my friend were playing Chess , obviously , but when I got him in check we didn't notice , I realized that when it became my turn next I said check mate and took him out but he made out a rule saying: You have to say check so I can take back my move and move my king . And he has done this several times I finally  beat him and he said this , and I did it again and said what he told me to BULL CRAP so can someone explain it to me? Please

Joe Joyce wrote on Thu, Feb 2, 2017 01:22 AM UTC:

To Bill Nye. It is illegal to leave your king in check. When an illegal move is noticed, the rules require all subsequent moves to be retracted and re-done.


ozymandias wrote on Tue, Jan 11, 2022 01:10 PM UTC:
I believe there is a mistake in the illustration of the stalemate. The horse should be in G5, not in F6.

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