Ask Coach Jessica: 7 Ways to Draw - Do You Know Them All?

Hi ChessKids! Today I will answer a question by StarDragon who wants to know what the 50-move rule is. This is an important question, and brings up others things to know. Aren't there other ways to draw, too?

When you get to tournament-level chess, you'll need to know all seven ways to get a half point in your games. This is especially important if you're losing! By, Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl).

1. STALEMATE!

Do you already know about stalemate? Super. (Wait, what's stalemate? If the side whose turn it is has no pieces that can move, and his/her king is not in check, then a stalemate will have occurred. Voila, cookie shared. Click the link to practice...)

Black is losing here by a whole rook. Now would be a great time to get a draw, rather than a loss! How does Black forcibly sac the queen? (Hint: look at all Black's escape squares, and make sure he's trapped!)

---

 
2. INSUFFICIENT MATERIAL!
---
That is a big way of saying you don't have enough pieces to make checkmate. You know that king versus king is a draw, since one king has stinky breath and the other has stinky feet, they can never be in the same room together! They'd just run around the whole board holding their noses and you'd have to call it a draw anyway. No need to run around. As soon as you see two kings will remain, put out your hand, or bow and say, "good game."
---
Other examples of insufficient mating material:
---
King and Bishop (doesn't matter what color)
---
 
King and Knight
---
 
And king and two knights is a draw, because even though you can set up a checkmate, it is not forced. Black just made the worst move on the board here. Mate him!
---
---
And king and bishop and knight versus king you can go ahead and call a draw (well, not really) because no one you know can do this checkmate. OK, it's possible, it's just super duper hard!! If you want to try, go to the Computer Workouts section of ChessKid!
 
3. AGREEMENT!
---
So, your opponent sticks out his hand and says, "draw?" Consider it for a moment before accepting...he probably thinks he is losing! The proper way to offer a draw is immediately after just making a move and just before pressing the clock. If you offer and your partner does not accept, don't ask again unless the position is radically different. In general, I recommend fighting till the end!
 
---
4. THREE TIME REPETITION OF POSITION!
---
WHAT?!
Well, that means you have the same position three times. It doesn't have to happen in a row. It just means if you have the exact same position three times during your game, you can claim a draw. If even a little pawn is on a different square, the position is different! Guess what? You need to be notating to prove this one! Call the TD over right before you make the final position repeat to claim a draw. Keep in mind it doesn't mean just one side is moving back and forth - the other player's moves would change the position each time!
---
5. PERPETUAL CHECK!
 
This is going to lead to number 4, above. If you have a check that repeats forever, you'll inevitably get the same position three times! There is not actually a rule called "perpetual check" but experienced players use this term to show how "three-time repetition" often occurs. Here is a common example of a perpetual check situation. Again, only do this if you're losing...
---
---
6.INSUFFICIENT LOSING CHANCES!
---
This is another way of saying, "Look, dude, this is a dead draw. Clearly and totally. But you are trying to make me run out of time on my clock. So I'm going to call it a draw so that I don't end up losing on time." If you are playing on a non-time-delay clock (do those things exist anymore?) you can make this claim only if you are in a position that is super obviously drawn. 
---
If you're clock has a delay, you may have to play to the 50-move rule (see number 7). One exception is if both player have one single piece that is the same (like rook versus rook with no pawns) you can claim a draw right away, assuming there is no immediate forced win. Confusing stuff!
---
---
---
---
No point in playing this out! Avoid losing on time and make a claim (if your opponent has for some reason denied your draw offer.) The tournament director (TD) may just put a time-delay clock on your game if he thinks you need to prove it with another type of draw, or the TD may agree with you. It's also possible the TD does not agree with you, then you lose time on your clock! So no frivolous claims!
---
 
7. 50-MOVE RULE
---
This rule says that after 50 moves have been made without a pawn moving and without any captures, it's a draw. It's usually reserved for players who don't know checkmating techniques like the queen dance and just make a lot of checks. You cannot claim this rule after 50 moves from the start of the game, because every time a pawn moves or a capture happens, you start counting all over again! Either use your notation to prove this claim, or ask a TD to stand nearby and count moves.
---
Draws count for half a point in a tournament. So, it's better than a loss, but be careful about always accepting a draw instead of fighting for a win!
---

RELATED STUDY MATERIAL