Originally posted by jb70
What if in a timebank only game someone runs out of time.
Will the software allow a lone king to win on time?
It shouldn't. Insufficient material is an
immediate draw according to the FIDE rules.
It has to be clarified that insufficient material, here, means "cannot mate
at all, even with the opponent's help". Therefore, K v KNN is
not insufficient material: you can put those pieces on the board so that the lone king is checkmated, and if the lone king blunders badly enough, that position can in fact be reached over the board. You can't
force mate with two knights, but you can
reach it with stupendous luck - therefore, two knights are not insufficient material to mate.
By contrast,
one knight, or one bishop, cannot possibly mate a king. Try it - there is always one square left for the king to go, even in a corner. Therefore, KvK, KvKN and KvKB should all be automatic draws. At the very least, you should be able to claim the draw.
A funny situation arises here: add a single pawn
on either side, and the automatic mate is lifted. Not only can either pawn queen, given bad enough play of the opponent, but even a single pawn can, in the right place, cover that one escape square if it's the attackers - or block it if it's the defender's!