Stalemate occurs if the side to move is not in check but has no legal moves. Stalemate results in a draw instead of losing the game if in check, and it is likely to occur in late endings only, where it is a regular resource that can enable the player with the inferior position to draw the game, i.e. in KPK or KQKP with rook pawn or bishop pawn on the seventh rank [1].
In others contexts, the word stalemate is also used for a metaphor when a conflict resolution seems difficult or impossible, i.e. a lose-lose situation.
Pseudo-legal move generation requires trying moves, to find at least one legal move or not, while legal move generation determines the information in advance. In late endings, static evaluation or interior node recognizer may support stalemate detection specially in quiescence search, for instance if there are no legal king moves, pawns are rammed or blocked and other pieces are pinned.
Desperado
Often there are tactical motives associated with so called Desperados, where pieces seem determined to give itself up to bring up stalemate if it is captured.
In others contexts, the word stalemate is also used for a metaphor when a conflict resolution seems difficult or impossible, i.e. a lose-lose situation.
Table of Contents
Detecting Stalemate
Like checkmate, stalemate is usually determined by the search if it turns out a node above the horizon becomes a terminal node without any further child nodes. It further depends on whether move generation relies on pseudo-legal moves or strictly legal moves.Pseudo-legal move generation requires trying moves, to find at least one legal move or not, while legal move generation determines the information in advance. In late endings, static evaluation or interior node recognizer may support stalemate detection specially in quiescence search, for instance if there are no legal king moves, pawns are rammed or blocked and other pieces are pinned.
Desperado
Often there are tactical motives associated with so called Desperados, where pieces seem determined to give itself up to bring up stalemate if it is captured.WMCCC 1993
At the WMCCC 1993 in Munich, round 8, The King found an amazing drawing combination in the game against Nimzo Guernica due to the rook desperados, to either give perpetual check forcing a threefold repetition, or to stalemate [3] [4]:nTCEC 1,2
Almost 20 years later, at TCEC Season 5, Stage 1, Spark, already with a huge winning score, became victim of a Delphil's desperado [5]See also
Forum Posts
2000 ...
2005 ...
2010 ...
2015 ...
External Links
References
What links here?
Up one Level