🤝 How Chess Games Are Drawn (6 Common Ways)

Not every game ends with checkmate. Many chess games finish as a draw—meaning neither player wins. Below are the most common ways draws happen, with simple explanations and a few key diagrams.

1) Perpetual Check

Perpetual check is when one player can keep giving check so the opponent can’t escape. In practice, it often appears when the weaker side uses checks to “save” the game.

Example checking loop:

2) Stalemate

Stalemate happens when the player to move is not in check, but has no legal moves. It’s a draw—even if one side has lots of extra pieces.

3) Insufficient Mating Material

If neither side has enough pieces to ever checkmate, the game is drawn. Common examples:

• King vs king
• King and bishop vs king
• King and knight vs king
• King and two knights vs king (cannot force mate against correct defense)

4) Repetition of Position (Threefold Repetition)

If the same position occurs three times with the same side to move and the same legal moves available, a player can claim a draw. Perpetual check often creates repetition.

5) Fifty-move Rule

If 50 moves are played (by both sides) with no pawn move and no capture, a player may claim a draw under standard chess rules.

6) Draw by Agreement

Players can agree to a draw at any time. This often happens in equal endgames or positions where neither side can make progress.

FAQ

➡️ Next Steps

Next up: check and checkmate (how attacks on the king work).