Stalemate Tutorial



1.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:SML_001}Stalemate is a special situation that occurs when a player's King is not in check, but on his turn, every move he can make would put his King in check. 

You may recall that it's illegal to move your King into check, so the player can make no moves. Since the other player's King is not in check either, neither player wins the game. This is called Stalemate.]

2.
[{B:8/6R1/24/5K2/7k/8}{D:4000}{A:Wg7g2}{D:1000}{R}{S:g7g2}{D:1000}{A:Wg2h2}{D:500}{H1:h2}{D:2000}{R}{C}{W:SML_002}Here's an example of Stalemate. It's White's turn to move. He moves Rook to g2. White has put Black in check, but it was still a very bad move for White. Let's continue.]

3.
[{B:40/5K2/6Rk/8}{D:4500}{A:Bh2h1}{D:1000}{R}{S:h2h1}{W:SML_003}Black is in check, so he must get his King out of danger. King to h1.]

4.
[{B:40/5K2/6R1/7k}{D:2500}{A:Wf3f2}{D:1000}{R}{S:f3f2}{D:7000}{A:Bh1h2}{D:500}{H1:h2}{D:1000}{R}{D:500}{A:Bh1g1}{D:500}{H1:g1}{D:1000}{R}{D:2500}{A:Wg2g1}{A:Wg2h2}{D:500}{R}{D:500}{A:Wg2g1}{A:Wg2h2}{D:500}{R}{C}{W:SML_004}Now, White makes another mistake. King to f2. It's Black's turn, but look at his options. The only moves he can make are King to h2 or King to g1. Either move would put Black's King in check, which is illegal. Since Black cannot move, but is not in check, the game is stalemated. Black was very lucky. Instead of a loss, he got a stalemate, which is considered a draw.]

5.
[{B:8/6R1/24/5K2/7k/8}{D:4000}{A:Wg7g3}{D:1000}{R}{S:g7g3}{D:4500}{A:Bh2h1}{D:1000}{R}{S:h2h1}{W:SML_005}Let's look at how White could have won the game. White starts by moving Rook to g3.

Black responds with his only legal move, King to h1.]

6.
[{B:40/5KR1/8/7k}{D:1500}{A:Wg3h3}{D:1000}{R}{S:g3h3}{D:1000}{A:Wh3h1}{H1:h1}{D:2000}{C}{R}{D:3000}{A:Bh1g1}{D:1000}{R}{S:h1g1}{W:SML_006}Now, white plays Rook to h3. Check! Again, Black has only one legal move. King to g1.]

7.
[{B:40/5K1R/8/6k1}{D:8500}{A:Wh3h4}{D:1000}{R}{S:h3h4}{D:3000}{A:Bg1f1}{D:1000}{R}{S:g1f1}{D:4000}{A:Wh4h1}{D:1000}{R}{S:h4h1}{D:750}{A:Wh1f1}{D:500}{H1:f1}{W:SML_007}Here's the tricky part. White needs to waste one move so that Black will be forced into a desired position. He plays Rook to h4. Black is forced to move King to f1. And now White wins with Rook to h1. Checkmate!]

8.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:SML_008}A good chess player needs to keep an eye out for both Checkmate and Stalemate. If you work only at placing your opponent's King in Check, he might slip a Stalemate past you.]

9.
[{B:64}{F:W}{B:q6k/8/7K/7P/24/6r1}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;Correct.{W:cor};
No;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};1}]

10.
[{B:40/5k2/P5r1/7K}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
No;That's right.{W:tr};2}]

11.
[{B:k7/2K5/PQ6/p7/32}
{Q:Is Black in Stalemate?{W:bsm};
yes;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};
No;That's correct.{W:tc};2}]

12.
[{B:4k3/2K2Q2/8/7p/7P/24}
{Q:Is Black in Stalemate?{W:bsm};
yes;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
No;You got it right.{W:ygir};2}]

13.
[{B:32/b7/6rk/8/N6K}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
No;Correct.{W:cor};2}]

14.
[{B:k7/1pK5/24/4BB2/16 BLACK}
{Q:Is Black in Stalemate?{W:bsm};
yes;That's right.{W:tr};No;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};1}]

15.
[{B:16/1bp5/1P6/8/6k1/8/7K}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};
No;That's correct.{W:tc};2}]

16.
[{B:24/3p4/3k4/1Q1N1K2/16 BLACK}
{Q:Is Black in Stalemate?{W:bsm};
yes;You got it right.{W:ygir};
No;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};1}]

17.
[{B:32/1n6/1Pq5/B7/1K6}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;Correct.{W:cor};No;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};1}]

18.
[{B:3Qnk2/6p1/6K1/40 BLACK}
{Q:Is Black in Stalemate?{W:bsm};
yes;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
No;That's right.{W:tr};2}]

19.
[{B:40/5b1n/7P/4k1K1}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
yes;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};
No;That's correct.{W:tc};2}]

20.
[{B:16/3q4/5k2/8/5K2/7r/8}
{Q:Is White in Stalemate?{W:wsm};
Yes;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
No;You got it right.{W:ygir};2}]

21.
[{B:4r2k/1p6/p1n2Pp1/8/2B6/1P6/1KP5/7R BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;Correct.{W:cor};
Stalemate;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
Black can still move;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};1}]

22.
[{B:40/2q5/K7/2k5}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can White still move?{W:ms_w};
Mate;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
Stalemate;That's right.{W:tr};
White can still move;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};2}]

23.
[{B:2R4k/p5pp/1p6/8/1P4bP/P5P1/K7/8 BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Stalemate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Black can still move;That's correct.{W:tc};3}]

24.
[{B:2R4k/p5pp/1p6/8/1P4bP/P5P1/K7/8 BLACK}
{V:What is Black's move?{W:wbm};
g4c8;Correct.{W:cor};
That is not the correct move.{W:tintcm}}]

25.
[{B:4Rnk1/8/p7/4B1N1/K7/24 BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Stalemate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Black can still move;You got it right.{W:ygir};3}]

26.
[{B:4Rnk1/8/p7/4B1N1/K7/24 BLACK}
{V:What is Black's move?{W:wbm};
a6a5;Correct.{W:cor};
That is not the correct move.{W:tintcm}}]

27.
[{B:32/5k2/5p1n/5P1P/1r2NK2}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can White still move?{W:ms_w};
Mate;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
Stalemate;You got it right.{W:ygir};
White can still move;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};2}]

28.
[{B:k6r/p3p3/3p4/16/1R4P1/6BP/6K1 BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
Stalemate;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};
Black can still move;That's right.{W:tr};3}]

29.
[{B:k6r/p3p3/3p4/16/1R4P1/6BP/6K1 BLACK}
{V:What is Black's move?{W:wbm};
d6d5;Correct.{W:cor};
That is not the correct move.{W:tintcm}}]

30.
[{B:8/p7/Pb1p4/1P2k3/6n1/6Pp/7P/7K}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can White still move?{W:ms_w};
Mate;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};
Stalemate;That's correct.{W:tc};
White can still move;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};2}]

31.
[{B:6k1/8/5QK1/16/1p6/16 BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Stalemate;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
Black can still move;You got it right.{W:ygir};3}]

32.
[{B:6k1/8/5QK1/16/1p6/16 BLACK}
{V:What is Black's move?{W:wbm};
b3b2;Correct.{W:cor};
That is not the correct move.{W:tintcm}}]

33.
[{B:1kb5/p1P5/P7/16/5BK1/8/2R5 BLACK}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can Black still move?{W:ms_b};
Mate;You got it right.{W:ygir};
Stalemate;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
Black can still move;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};1}]

34.
[{B:r5k1/p5b1/6p1/5p2/5N2/n3P2Q/P7/K3R2R}
{Q:Is this Mate, Stalemate, or can White still move?{W:ms_w};
Mate;That's correct.{W:tc};
Stalemate;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};
White can still move;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};1}]