Chess is a game of strategy
and tactics.
by Fran Black
Not every chess game ends with a clear winner; an
opponent that declares checkmate. Occasionally a chess
player will choose to resign to their opponent, which
is essentially surrendering. These players believe
that there is “no longer any hope”, and award the
win to their opponent. In chess tournaments, wins
will receive a single point. However, when white wins
it is recorded as 1-0 and when black wins it is recorded
as 0-1.
Between evenly matched opponents, chess games will
often end in draws. Essentially, a draw is a game
in which nobody wins. In tournaments, draws are recorded
as ˝ - ˝, basically half a point rather than a full
point for a win. There are six kinds of draws to discuss
briefly.
Draws by agreement are perhaps the most common in
chess. At any time in the game, you can offer a draw
to your opponent. However, be mindful, and of good
etiquette. Don't offer a draw on every move, for this
is considered very rude. And be sure to offer the
draw correctly: make your move, offer the draw, and
only then press your clock (assuming that you are
using a chess clock). An offer of a draw without making
a move is not a legal offer and can be ignored.
In a famous grandmaster game, the opponents drew
the game rather quickly. This game was famous because
the Grandmaster Tal already had 12 points in the 1960
World Championship Match. The draw resulted in his
crowning of a new world chess champion! Grandmaster
Tal had steered the game into a position in which
Grandmaster Black has no meaningful chances to win.
Tal rather large lead also played an effect in the
match.
Another type of draw is known as a stalemate. In
a chess game, each side must move. Stalemates occur
if the opponent (or yourself) is not in check and
must move one of his/her pieces. However, there is
a twist to this: if the player has no legal move,
the game ends as a draw, referred to as a stalemate.
There are multiple stalemate situations that are
quite common. Here's an example of a king and a pawn.
At the end of the game, the opposing king is not in
check, is trapped in a corner, with a queen surrounding
all possible moves for the king. Many examples are
much more complicated and can be quite exciting.
Draws by perpetual check occur when one player,
usually, though not always with a queen, can deliver
check regardless of the square chosen by the opponent's
king. There's simply no escape from the checks.
Threefold repetition is when you or your opponent
claim a draw if the same position occurs three times
in the same game, all with the same player to move.
Such repetitions can easily occur in endgames when
one player is checking another. To claim such a draw,
you need to have an accurate score sheet and demonstrate
to the tournament director that the claim is valid.
In one game between Fischer and Spassky, Fischer incorrectly
claimed such a draw but Spassky, sure that Fischer
must have been correct, agreed to the draw!
If neither side has sufficient material to win,
either player can claim a draw. For example, suppose
that each side has a king and a bishop. Try as you
will, there's no way to force a win. You can win force
checkmate with a king plus a bishop and a knight,
but there is no way to force checkmate with a king
and two knights.
This last rule is rather harsh. If after 50 consecutive
moves by both players, no pawn moves or captures have
occurred, either player can claim a draw. Obviously,
you will need to have kept an accurate score sheet
to make this claim!
About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing at the Puzzle Place
http://www.puzzle-place.net
and Chess Strategies http://www.chess-strategies.net
leading puzzle and strategy portals.
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