Endgames
Stalemate
Stalemate occurs when the player to move has no legal move and their king is not in check. The game is immediately drawn, regardless of material. Even a side with several extra queens can accidentally allow stalemate.
A practical example
White has only a king on h1. Black has a king on f2 and queen on g3. With White to move, the king is not in check, but g1, g2 and h2 are attacked. White has no legal move: stalemate.
A common mistake
Checking only king moves. If the defending side still has a legal pawn or piece move, it is not stalemate. A trapped king that is in check may instead be checkmated.
Try this in your next review
Before promoting or making a queen move, check all the opponent’s legal moves. In a losing position, look for forcing ways to sacrifice your last mobile pieces and create a stalemate resource.
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