stalemates
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as a beginner, one of my biggest obstacles while I been playing bots or a real person is stalemate, I guess my question is how do I prevent stalemates in a game ? as the only time I can win is when the clock runs out .
Mar 1, 2025
0
#2
chessmn13 wrote:
as a beginner, one of my biggest obstacles while I been playing bots or a real person is stalemate, I guess my question is how do I prevent stalemates in a game ? as the only time I can win is when the clock runs out .
When you're overwhelming your opponent, especially in an endgame where your opponent has few pieces, or otherwise unmovable ones, make sure there is always at least one legal move on the board for your opponent or make sure you're checking them (but not just to check, it should be part of a mating plan).
The easiest way is when you have overwhelming advantage (queen plus rook), keep making checks until its checkmate. This way it can never be stalemate.
From a video I saw on YouTube, you shouldn't destroy your opponent and take all there pieces or you'll end up on stalemate because they won't have any legal moves while trying to capture the king .
chessmn13 wrote:
as a beginner, one of my biggest obstacles while I been playing bots or a real person is stalemate, I guess my question is how do I prevent stalemates in a game ? as the only time I can win is when the clock runs out .
I took a look at the last game where you stalemated.
https://www.chess.com/game/live/123365486052?username=chessmn13&move=140
Based on that game, I think you don't know what stalemate is and what checkmate is. Be sure to look those up, as you can't really play chess without knowing them.
After that, the most useful thing would be to learn how to checkmate with 2 rooks (or queen + rook, it's the same).
After that, all you need to do is pay attention to the game. Don't just play a random move in a couple of seconds. Use your time and think.
chessmn13 wrote:
From a video I saw on YouTube, you shouldn't destroy your opponent and take all there pieces or you'll end up on stalemate because they won't have any legal moves while trying to capture the king .
I dont think thats a good rule to tell a beginner.
More precise would be "if you have overwhelming material advantage, make sure your opponent has one piece not a pawn or king left that they can move around, so they always have a move and never stalemate".
This way there is a clear limit to what they should and shouldnt take.
Its an alternative to constantly giving checks of course. Less simple to follow, but the effect would be the same.
Thanks, I think I got the idea .
Mar 4, 2025
0
#8
I really don’t like myself B ing in STALEMATE when I am winning because it happens about 76 times in my games😡😡😡
MariasWhiteKnight wrote:
chessmn13 wrote:
From a video I saw on YouTube, you shouldn't destroy your opponent and take all there pieces or you'll end up on stalemate because they won't have any legal moves while trying to capture the king .
I dont think thats a good rule to tell a beginner.
More precise would be "if you have overwhelming material advantage, make sure your opponent has one piece not a pawn or king left that they can move around, so they always have a move and never stalemate".
This way there is a clear limit to what they should and shouldnt take.
Its an alternative to constantly giving checks of course. Less simple to follow, but the effect would be the same.
If you want to arrange things to make stalemating less likely, I think underpromoting to rooks instead of queens is probably better than leaving them a piece.
Leaving a piece can backfire for absolute beginners.
But honestly it's probably better to just learn to leave the opponent squares.
