He means what he says. Chess exists for centuries and stalemate rule is in usage for hundreds of years. And it certainly shouldn't be changed just because some relatively low rated player wasn't able to convert a completely winning position. By the way I am saying this as someone who messed up myself and didn't get the win on an occasion or 2.
As you learn about chess, you will understand that stalemate is pretty necessary rule. Without it some endgames would be much simpler and chess would be a less rich game. For instance 1 pawn up in an endgame would be more or less an automatic win. Now you need to look which pawn is it, who has the opposition etc. Many endgame positions include stalemate defensive resource.
And apart from that, stalemate as a defensive resource is a reason for someone who is ahead to always consider tricky moves by his opponent. Many games were drawn in a really artistic way by either giving a perpetual check or by stalemate if opponents takes the piece giving a check.
Removing stalemate would be like trying to swat a fly with a sledge hammer. It would do much more harm than good. In the end, it is our responsibility not to allow our opponent to trick us.
MOST STUPID RULE : STALEMATE
Well if you can't make a legal king move, and you can't make any other legal moves,than it should count as a forfeit, end of story. Also I've played enough games on previous accounts to know what I'm talking about. Think about it, if you can't play another move legally, than it still means your king is trapped. The only reason why we have the legal king move in the first place is to educate people on the importance of king safety, but if you have no other legal moves, even if they aren't in check, if they were to make another move, (which is what you're supposed to do in a game when it's your turn), than the king would be taken. Even if the legal king move rule was still in place than ok, if your opponent can't move, than either the game if forfeited or their turn is skipped until they can move, or their's a checkmate!
Yeah, let's remove stalemate! While we're at it, can we remove 3-fold repetition and perpetual check? It's stupid how my opponent can check me back and forth when I'm up a queen and BOOM! Draw!
The rules of chess have served us well for hundreds of years. It seems more sensible to me for people to just LEARN them, rather than demand to change them.
Nigel Short also believes stalemate rules are flawed, do you think he needs to learn the rules?
Yo these stalemate need to leave
It's amazing how dumb peeps never understand that stalemate is necessary and cannot be removed
Exactly, variants. You invent a new game. You don't touch the old one that is perfectly balanced. As I said, it would be boring. You are a pawn up? You don't have to think. Just trade down and you win. Pawn down without pieces? Resign... Advanced bishop or rook pawn vs queen? No matter, it is now a simpler game. Resign. You perpetually check the opponent who didn't bother to be careful? Nah, no matter, he can take, put you in stalemate, and take the win instead of a deserved draw. All that and more because someone couldn't bother to remain concentrated on a game so he promoted 4 queens trying to be +52 in material. 
I hated it at first but love it now. Makes you really have to think.
Tonight I was down in material in a 10 min rapid game and drew the stalemate with 0.1 second left on my clock. I’ve got the screenshot to prove it.
That felt almost as good as a win.
I hated it at first but love it now. Makes you really have to think.
Tonight I was down in material in a 10 min rapid game and drew the stalemate with 0.1 second left on my clock. I’ve got the screenshot to prove it.
That felt almost as good as a win.
It gives a unique flavor to the game. More options to consider, yes we all hate it when it happens to us, but that kind of a variety can't be bad for the game. It makes it richer.
i think that the person who began this thread meant to sat Then
"Voila" stalemate! they just didn't understand that it is a french word that has a meaning similar to an english expression "There you go!" I also believe this is where the expression tada comes from. As far as your argument against stalemate... well have a little talk with FIDE about changing the rules of chess, see how long that conversation lasts. In the end it is a rule of the game, either learn all about its use plusses and minuses, or find another game. I guarantee you won't find a better one except maybe GO, But GO is not more exciting than chess, more complicated maybe but . that is another subject entirely.
i think that the person who began this thread meant to sat Then
"Voila" stalemate! they just didn't understand that it is a french word that has a meaning similar to an english expression "There you go!" I also believe this is where the expression tada comes from. As far as your argument against stalemate... well have a little talk with FIDE about changing the rules of chess, see how long that conversation lasts. In the end it is a rule of the game, either learn all about its use plusses and minuses, or find another game. I guarantee you won't find a better one except maybe GO, But GO is not more exciting than chess, more complicated maybe but . that is another subject entirely.
And Go also has a rule to avoid three-fold repetition. Granted, it doesn't have anything like checkmate, you can capture multiple stones in a single move, there is only one type of stone, stones don't move once placed (until they are taken off the board when captured), and the winner is determined by counting at the end. Other than the massive differences in rules, strategy and tactics, it might be kind of like chess (they are both board games with players alternating moves and no element of chance introduced by anything like cards or dice).
It's amazing how dumb peeps never understand that stalemate is necessary and cannot be removed
Yes, Nigel Short is so dumb lol
Stalemate is an important part of the game though
Stalemate is an important part of the game though
it rly is
Also the "Ola!" what is that? I aM cOnFuSiOn
This thread started a LONG time ago - I wonder if the OP appreciates stalemate more now; what does stalemate do? It makes you have to think and look hard at the position - any position - even those you *think* you have won.
If you can keep as much attention on the board when your opponent plays 1...e5 to your 1.e4 as you can when you've got a pawn on the 7th rank against a lone king - you'll be a winner; if you think that clever fork on move 35 was the end of the game and you can just cruise to checkmate, then a draw might be all you deserve.
You think the Stalemate rule has “served us for hundreds of years?” What exactly do you mean?