Chess rules
What Is Stalemate in Chess?
Stalemate is a position in which the player to move is not in check but has no legal move. Under the rules, stalemate ends the game immediately as a draw, even if one side has far more material.
Examples
1. Qb6
Qb6 is a blunder. The black king on a8 is not in check, but a7, b7, and b8 are all covered by the queen, and Black has no other pieces. Black has no legal move, so the game is drawn by stalemate.
1. e7+ Ke8 2. Ke6
A common king and pawn stalemate. After e7+ Ke8 Ke6, the black king is not in check, but d7, f7, d8, and f8 are all covered by the white king and pawn. It is stalemate.
What the rules say
Under the FIDE Laws of Chess, the game is drawn when the player to move has no legal move and the king is not in check. The stalemate ends the game at once. It does not matter how much material either side has.
Every piece counts. If the side to move has a pawn that can advance or a piece that can move legally, it is not stalemate, even if the king itself cannot move.
How stalemate happens
The most common case is a winning side with a queen taking away every square from a lone king without giving check. Another is the king and pawn ending where the pawn reaches the seventh rank in front of the defending king.
Defenders also create stalemate on purpose. When most of your pieces are gone and your king has no moves, try to give away your last mobile pieces. If the opponent must take them, you may be left with no legal move.
How to avoid stalemating your opponent
Before each move in a winning endgame, check whether the opponent will have any legal move afterward. With a queen against a lone king, keep the queen a knight's move away from the king rather than right next to its escape squares, and bring your own king up before delivering mate.
Common questions
Is stalemate a win or a draw?
Under the FIDE Laws and US Chess rules, stalemate is a draw. It is not a win for either player.
Can you stalemate yourself on purpose?
You cannot make an illegal move to reach it, but you can steer the game toward a position where you will have no legal move. Defenders in lost positions often try to do exactly that.
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