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Checkmate a KING.

Checkmate a KING.

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If a King is cornered but not in check...and he trys to moved but he will be in check is that checkmate ?

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Originally posted by murraywash
If a King is cornered but not in check...and he trys to moved but he will be in check is that checkmate ?
No. The King must be in check. If you have no legal moves, but are NOT in check, the game is drawn by stalemate.

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many GM's believe this rule should be eliminated. Should be a win..and I agree.

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Originally posted by ogb
many GM's believe this rule should be eliminated. Should be a win..and I agree.
Name one!

Elimination of stalemate as a draw would ruin chess. For starters, White wins this without the need for "opposition":



So now, an extra pawn is a larger advantage. Goodbye, endgame nuances, speculative sacrifices and daring gambits. Hello, miserly play-it-safe pawn hoarding.

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Exactly, the possibility of stalemate has led to interesting battles and swindles even at top level.

If you're winning, but allow a stalemate, you don't deserve the win.

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Originally posted by murraywash
If a King is cornered but not in check...and he trys to moved but he will be in check is that checkmate ?
What you describe is called stalemate, a draw.


Originally posted by murraywash
If a King is cornered but not in check...and he trys to moved but he will be in check is that checkmate ?
You've been here 10 years and you don't know that by now?

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Someone asked me this one. I have lots of pieces and opponent only has a king. Can I still resign to lose?

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Originally posted by Habeascorp
Someone asked me this one. I have lots of pieces and opponent only has a king. Can I still resign to lose?
Yes.


Originally posted by Habeascorp
Someone asked me this one. I have lots of pieces and opponent only has a king. Can I still resign to lose?
AIUI in those circumstances you can't lose on time -- if you drop through your clock, it's a draw, because your opponent could not possibly checkmate even if you blunder massively. But if you yourself choose to resign, you can.

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Why not call checkmate "freshmate" or alternatively, call stalemate "Checklessmate?"

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Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
Name one!

Elimination of stalemate as a draw would ruin chess. For starters, White wins this without the need for "opposition":

[fen]8/8/8/8/3k4/3P4/3K4/8[/fen]

So now, an extra pawn is a larger advantage. Goodbye, endgame nuances, speculative sacrifices and daring gambits. Hello, miserly play-it-safe pawn hoarding.
GM Nigel Short says that stalemate should be a win for the side giving it.

He's said that all stalemate accomplishes is to make a very drawish game even more drawish.

Also: "The King is lost on the next move after it is stalemated, so it is entirely consistent with the aim of the game - capturing the king." He said this on his player's page on chessgames.com.

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Originally posted by Spectators
GM Nigel Short says that stalemate should be a win for the side giving it.

He's said that all stalemate accomplishes is to make a very drawish game even more drawish.

Also: "The King is lost on the next move after it is stalemated, so it is entirely consistent with the aim of the game - capturing the king." He said this on his player's page on chessgames.com.
Now that you mention it, I think that's right. I still am not sure he has really thought it through. The loss of nuance, for example, probably outweighs the reduction in draws. Really, it is only at the super-GM level that the game is that drawish.

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Originally posted by Spectators
GM Nigel Short says that stalemate should be a win for the side giving it.

He's said that all stalemate accomplishes is to make a very drawish game even more drawish.

Also: "The King is lost on the next move after it is stalemated, so it is entirely consistent with the aim of the game - capturing the king." He said this on his player's page on chessgames.com.
But stalemate means the king is only quarantined, sequestered, not captured. You have to have a weapon at the ready to stab the sucker if you want to count it as a win. We're KILLING the king here, not sending it to Alcapulco to retire🙂

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Napoleon was after all exiled to Elba with no men and made a come back! (but didn't from St Helens.)