Stalemate

This is a very simple stalemate problem. In this position, white has just promoted the pawn to a queen on h8. Find the move that saves(draws) the game for black.

Difficulty: Easy

Ra1+

Qxa1 is stalemate, and if Qd1 then Rxd1#

Hi guys, I am still in the beginning stages and I am trying to understand why some games are called a draw and others aren't, can anyone help me to understand why this game is a draw?https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/18992159657?tab=analysis

It's because of the stalemate, it's draw because enemy king not in check, also no valid moves for white such positions when occurs it's stalemate and draw, you can search it up for more information.

I'll look into that, thanks for the response, it never seems to work this way when I am being attacked tho.

You should end up in such a position while being attacked that you don't have a move to make and you should not be in check, then only it will be a draw

I was one move away from checkmate though??

Yeah, but look at final position whatever he moves, it's a check but the place where the king is not check, neither he cant move pieces or pawns so draw.

I understand that we are only allowed a certain number of moves to checkmate our opponent, and repetetive moves can cause a draw, but that is not the case here...

I tried to explain it yesterday. 

50 moves rule doesn't have anything to do with stalemate. 

Stalemate is another way for a game to end in a draw.

The game ended in a draw because your opponent can't play a single move here and his king is not in check. His pawn is blocked and is unable to move, and by playing Qeg1 you've taken away every possible square around his king.

Instead, you should have played Qg3# and it would have been a checkmate.

Perhaps this might be of use:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate

My opponent did have one more move left before he was in chackmate, it was inevitable seemigly, but maybe I am just not seeing what you are seeing.

It is one move before checkmate, but he can't play anything, that is the point.

Which move he could play? Find any move for him and write it here. You will see that he didn't have a single move he could play.

Okay, so he couldn't move anywhere without putting himself in check, so that is considered 50-50? I think I am slowly getting it.

Yup, moving his king to h4 is illegal as it would put his king in check. Every other king move would put his king in check as well. He can't make a pawn move so he doesn't have any legal move.

Yeah, when that happens it is a draw by stalemate. That is why you have to be careful when there are not many pieces left on the board. When you have this kind of advantage it is best to check his king every move until you can checkmate him. 

Thank you so much for helping me!

No problem. Have a nice day.

What is shocking to me: how can anyone know the 50-move rule (which is an obscure rule that very rarely matters anyway) but not know stalemate (which is, for heaven's sake, is a known expression even outside of chess).

I myself learned stalemate in the first hour when I learned how to play. I first heard about the 50-move rule more than a decade later.

magipi, I guess we all have different ways of learning.