This draw is a strange situation. It is a mate and ends the game, but there is no check. In a stalemate, there is nothing one of the players can do. Although her king is not in check, any move she makes will expose her king to check, and that is not allowed. So we know that a stalemate ends the game.

Why is stalemate a draw?

The quick answer is because the rules say it is. There is really no logic behind it, and at various times in the past, stalemate counted as a win for the stronger side or even a win for the weaker side! The only thing sure about a stalemate is that the game cannot continue, since it is against the rules to place your king in check.

With Black to move, the game ends in stalemate. Black has no legal moves available, and is not in check.

In some stalemates, one player may have an enormous advantage. He may have many pieces and pawns left while his opponent is left with a lone king. Yet, since that king has no moves, the game ends and is declared a draw.

With White to move, the game ends in stalemate. Somehow Black went terribly wrong to get this far ahead and not win.

It is a situation that may seem unfair, but that's only if you are the one left with the large advantage. Perhaps with such a large advantage you could have found a way to herd the lone king into a corner and checkmate him. Thus, allowing a player with a lone king to escape with a stalemate is often nothing more than carelessness.

On the other hand, if you are the one with the lone king, you might see stalemate as a fantastic opportunity. There have been combinations (see Chapter 10) played where a competitor, sensing trouble, got rid of his remaining pieces in order to bring about a stalemate to end the game in a draw. These types of combinations are available to those who look for them.

So don't disdain stalemate; use it as a weapon. After all, ½ a point is better than none.