Stalemate in Chess

Stalemate is a specific type of draw in chess that occurs when the player whose turn it is has no legal moves but is not in check. It is a crucial defensive resource in lost endgames. This guide explains the rules with diagrams and shows you how to use stalemate tricks to save games that seem hopeless.

A Draw When There Are No Legal Moves

Stalemate is a crucial defensive resource where the game ends in a draw because the player to move has no legal options.

🤝 Definition: Stalemate is a draw. It happens when the player to move has no legal moves — but their king is not in check.

Stalemate is one of the easiest rules to understand in words — and one of the easiest to miss in practice. The key is to remember: not in check + no legal moves = draw.

Stalemate checklist

It is that side’s turn to move.
The king is not in check.
There is no legal move with any piece.

5 Classic Diagram Examples (Why Each One Is Stalemate)

Example 1: King boxed in by a Queen

Black to move is stalemated.
The king is not in check, but every escape square is controlled by the white queen.

Example 2: King & pawn vs king (wrong file / tempo)

Black to move is stalemated.
The pawn on f7 locks key squares, and the white king controls the rest.

Example 3: Pinned bishop = no legal move

Black to move is stalemated.
The bishop cannot move because it is pinned to the king by the rook. The king also has no legal squares.

Example 4: Queen vs pawn endgame stalemate

Black to move is stalemated.
The pawn is stuck, the king is boxed in, and the queen controls all escape squares — without giving check.

Example 5: Wrong bishop / wrong rook pawn pattern

Black to move is stalemated.
The pawn on a7 and king on a6 restrict the king completely; the bishop cannot help because it controls the wrong color squares.

Example 6: Pinned Knight Stalemate

Black has a rook, but it is pinned and cannot move. The king has no legal squares → stalemate.

Example 7: Wrong Bishop + Rook Pawn

A famous endgame trap: the bishop controls the wrong color. The king is frozen in the corner → stalemate.

Example 8: Rook Version of the Classic Pawn Stalemate

The pawn blocks the rook’s line. The king has no squares and no moves → stalemate.

Example 9: Kingside Pinned-Rook Stalemate

The rook cannot move without exposing check. The king has no escape → stalemate.

Example 10: NOT Stalemate – King Is in Check ❌

The king is in check. If the king is in check, the position can never be stalemate.

Example 11: NOT Stalemate – Legal Moves Exists ❌

It looks frozen — but Black still has one legal move. Therefore this is not stalemate.

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