I have recently started playing chess (I had no interest in it until last week when I started dabbling in it online). I have become quite hooked on it, and am partial to a wee game on link Now, I can (mostly) beat the beginner, and sometimes beat the intermediate, but the so called expert is quite tough. I'm not really clued up on all the rules (yet), and have a gung-ho attack attitude, but for once I (playing with the black pieces) had the more difficult player (white) on the ropes. And then it came up with stalemate :(
Please check the picture and tell me why (As I say, I'm just a beginner, so if it's obvious, I'm sorry lol)
The way I see it, no matter where he moves his king, he's in check with one of my pieces, but I'm probably missing something so obvious :) lol
My hunch is that if he moves up and takes my rook, then I can't have him in check with my King....but I don't understand why, because in a previous game, he had me tied in a similar fashion and was allowed to keep me in check using his king. Is it making up rules as it goes along?
The reason you're stalemate James, is because you obviously took his last piece (not including the king), on that turn.
To get a checkmate, the opponent must have at least one other piece on the board, I would tend to leave a pawn, because they are easy to block, so can't do any real damage. :)
Hope that answered your question. :)
No, that's not true I think.
You are allowed to have only your King on the board. But you will get a stalemate when it's your turn to play and your King is not in check, but yet there are no moves to make because otherwise you'd be moving yourself into a check. Which is impossible. That's also why it would be impossible for White to take your rook, as he would be putting himself into a check.
So in short. When the player who is in turn can't make a move. It is a stalemate. And a stalemate is a draw.
Thanks guys! I understand exactly what you're saying, but I'm sure I was also in a position like this against the computer and was in check......I'll take the "draw" lol, and if the same scenario turns up where it's going against me, I'll re-post :)
Cheers again!
FriedChicken wrote: No, that's not true I think.
You are allowed to have only your King on the board. But you will get a stalemate when it's your turn to play and your King is not in check, but yet there are no moves to make because otherwise you'd be moving yourself into a check. Which is impossible. That's also why it would be impossible for White to take your rook, as he would be putting himself into a check.
So in short. When the player who is in turn can't make a move. It is a stalemate. And a stalemate is a draw.
----------------------------------
That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks, I've been that one wrong for years then.
My mrs, who taught our nephew (who is now his high school champion), has confirmed FriedChicken's view, but has also pointed out that all my pieces have his king in check and he cannot move out of it. Surely that's the point? Now I'm even more confused :(
Forget that lol - she's just actually looked at the picture and told me that the king is not in check yet, so I screwed myself over....now I actuallu do understand :) Thanks again everybody!!!