Reviewing the Chess.com untro

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Avatar of jennjollygreen

I'm new and can't quite see everything. Challenge 4/5 on the chess.com lesson on stalemates is getting to me. How is the position a stalemate? Why cant that pawn promote? Any help would be greatly appreciated? I know that white moving after black promotes would be illegal. Im just confused. Thanks!

Avatar of Martin_Stahl
jennjollygreen wrote:

I'm new and can't quite see everything. Challenge 4/5 on the chess.com lesson on stalemates is getting to me. How is the position a stalemate? Why cant that pawn promote? Any help would be greatly appreciated? I know that white moving after black promotes would be illegal. Im just confused. Thanks!

Stalemate is when a player has no legal moves on the board and is not in check.

The g-pawn is pinned and can't move, the h-pawn is blocked by the king, the black king is not in check and can't move being blocked by the pawns, and g1 is covered by the white king

Avatar of jennjollygreen

The g pawn being pinned is what is confusing me. Why can't it promote and have the white king in check? I know I'm just missing a small thing and will feel so dumb when I see it. Thank you.

Avatar of nklristic
jennjollygreen wrote:

The g pawn being pinned is what is confusing me. Why can't it promote and have the white king in check? I know I'm just missing a small thing and will feel so dumb when I see it. Thank you.

Because it is illegal for that pawn to move to g1. Picture this, imagine if pawn moves from g2 to g1. That would put black king in check because of the bishop. That is not a legal move. You can't make moves that put your own king in check.

Avatar of jennjollygreen

I'm so dumb. I see it now. The other examples only had the king moving directly to put the king in check. Obviously there are other ways to put it in check :facepalm. Thank you for your help!

Avatar of nklristic

It is completely normal to miss such things when you are starting out. Don't be too hard on yourself. You are welcome.