Draw?
- Prodigy Strats
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
Hi Friends!
Like with most sports and games, you can win or lose in chess. Unlike most games, there is a third result, which is very common especially at beginner and master levels, a draw. In fact, draws are the most common result in games between grandmasters. This means it's a tie and both players score half a point. It's recorded 1/2 - 1/2. In the video below, you will learn the five most common types of draws, which I'll summarize afterwards.
As you saw in the video, here are the big 5 (not to be confused with the awesome sporting goods store).
Draw by mutual agreement - This is the most common type of draw. Make your move, offer a draw, hit your clock. If your opponent says nothing and makes a move, that is the same as declining. They can also choose to accept and that ends the game with a half point apiece.
Insufficient mating material - King v King, King + Bishop v King, etc. are examples of this. There is insufficient material for either side to checkmate and the game is a draw.
Stalemate - This happens when the player whose turn it is has no legal moves and is not in check. This is another draw and something that happens a lot at the beginner level when players don't know how to checkmate.
Threefold repetition - This happens when the same exact position on the board occurs three times. Note it needn't be in consecutive moves, a common misperception. This often happens via perpetual check.
Fifty move rule - If a game goes fifty moves for each side after the last pawn move or capture, the game can be claimed a draw. This often happens at the amateur level when players don't know how to checkmate with their remaining pieces. I've even seen it happen at higher tournament levels for players who haven't mastered King + Bishop + Knight vs King, which is a tough one!
For all you newer players out there, experience is the best teacher, so I would encourage you not to offer or accept draws by mutual agreement. If you're up a lot of material, be careful about stalemate and threefold. If you're down material and in big trouble, try to get in positions where you can get one of the latter four draws mentioned.
That's all for today! See y'all next time! Sarang out.
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