Chess rules
The Fifty-Move Rule in Chess Explained
The fifty-move rule lets a player claim a draw when each side has made 50 consecutive moves without any capture and without any pawn move. Under FIDE rules, the game ends automatically as a draw after 75 such moves by each side.
Example
130. Rd4+
Say the last capture or pawn move came 99 turns ago. White's quiet move Rd4 completes 50 moves by each side with no capture and no pawn move, so Black, who is now to move, can claim a draw.
What the rule says
Under the FIDE Laws, a player may claim a draw if the last 50 moves by each player have been made without the movement of any pawn and without any capture. A move by each side counts as one move, so the count covers 100 turns in total.
Every pawn move and every capture resets the count to zero. Checks and castling do not reset it. A promotion is a pawn move, so it does.
How to claim it
The player whose turn it is makes the claim. You can claim when the 50 moves have just been completed, or by writing down your next move, which would complete them, and declaring to the arbiter that you intend to play it. Keep an accurate scoresheet, because the claim depends on it.
The 75-move rule
If no one claims, the game continues. Under FIDE rules, once 75 moves by each player have been made without a pawn move or capture, the game is drawn automatically, unless the last move delivered checkmate, in which case the checkmate stands.
There are no special extensions for particular endgames in the current FIDE Laws. Some endings, such as two bishops against a knight, can need more than 50 moves to win with best play, but the rule applies to them all the same.
Common questions
Does a check reset the fifty-move count?
No. Only a pawn move or a capture resets the count. Checks and other piece moves do not.
Is the fifty-move rule automatic?
Not under FIDE rules. A player must claim it. The draw becomes automatic only after 75 moves by each side.
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