A stalemate in chess is an outcome from which none of the players can make a winning move. This technically means that the square on which the king of a player is standing cannot be threatened by any of the pieces of his opponent.
At the same time, the king cannot move into another square as that would put him in the line of fire. In chess language, this means, that if he moves, he will leave his safe spot and will be put in check.
Will There Be a Winner?
There will be no clear winner in the event of a stalemate. The game subsequently will end in a draw.
There are three primary reasons wherein a stalemate can occur:
- If there is not enough firepower to go after the king.
- There are no legal moves available to go for a win.
- Three-fold repetition. (This means that if the game reaches the same position three times, a draw can be claimed)
Stalemates are a bane if you were winning and a boon if you were initially losing.
