Draw (chess)

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In chess, a draw is one of the possible outcomes of a game, the others being a win for white and a win for black. A draw is the same as a tie. Traditionally, in tournaments a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser, while a draw is worth a half point to each player.

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[edit] Draws in all games

Rule 5.2 of the FIDE Laws of Chess detail the ways a game may end in a draw:

  • Mutual agreement - a player may offer a draw to his opponent at any stage of a game. If the opponent accepts, the game is a draw.
  • Stalemate - if the player on turn has no legal move but is not in check, this is stalemate and the game is a draw.
  • Threefold repetition - if an identical position has occurred three times, or will occur after the player on turn makes his move, the player on move may claim a draw (to the arbiter). In such a case the draw is not automatic - a player must claim it. Article 9.2 states that a position is considered identical to another if the same player is on move, the same types of pieces of the same colors occupy the same squares, and the same moves are available to each player; in particular, each player has the same castling and en passant capturing rights.
  • Fifty move rule - if at least fifty moves (by each side) have passed with no pawn being moved and no capture being made, a draw may be claimed by either player. Here again, the draw is not automatic and rather must be claimed.
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 d8 bd e8 f8 g8 kd h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 pd b5 c5 pd d5 e5 pd f5 g5 pd h5
a4 pl b4 c4 pl d4 e4 pl f4 g4 pl h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 bl f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 kl h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Draw: no sequence of legal moves can lead to checkmate; note that no piece can cross the center line of the board
  • Impossibility of checkmate - if a position arises in which neither player could possibly give checkmate by a series of legal moves, the game is a draw. This is usually because there is insufficient material left, but it is possible in other positions too (see the diagram). Combinations with insufficient material to checkmate are:
  • king versus king
  • king and bishop versus king
  • king and knight versus king
  • king and bishop versus king and bishop with the bishops on the same color.
Any number of additional bishops on the same color due to underpromotion do not affect the situation.

It is popularly considered that perpetual check – where one player gives a series of checks from which the other player cannot escape – is a draw, but in fact there is no longer a specific rule for this in the laws of chess, because any perpetual check situation will eventually be claimable as a draw under the fifty move rule or by threefold repetition, or (more likely) by agreement.

It should be noted that although these are the laws as laid down by FIDE and, as such, are used at almost all top-level tournaments, at lower levels different rules may operate, particularly with regard to rapid play finish provisions.

[edit] Draws in timed games

In games played with a time control, there are other ways a draw can occur.

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 kl b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 nl b7 bd c7 kd d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Possible checkmate position for Black. If White runs out of time with this combination of material, Black wins because of this possible checkmate. However, in a sudden death time control, if White can convince the arbiter before the time is up that Black is merely stalling to win on time, the game is nevertheless declared a draw.
  • In a sudden death time control (players have a limited time to play all of their moves), if it is discovered that both players have exceeded their time allotment, the game is a draw. (The game continues if it is not a sudden-death time control.)
  • If only one player has exceeded the time limit, but the other player does not have (theoretically) sufficient mating material, the game is still a draw. Law 6.10 of the FIDE Laws of Chess states that: "If a player does not complete the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time, the game is lost by the player. However, the game is drawn, if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player's king by any possible series of legal moves, even with the most unskilled counterplay." For example, a player who runs out of time with a king and queen versus a sole king does not lose the game. It is still possible to lose on time in positions where mate is extremely unlikely but not theoretically impossible, as with king and bishop versus king and knight.
  • Because of this last possibility, article 10 of the FIDE laws of chess states that when a player has less than two minutes left on their clock during a rapid play finish (the end of a game when all remaining moves must be completed within a limited amount of time), they may claim a draw if their opponent is not attempting to win the game by "normal means" or cannot win the game by "normal means". "Normal means" can be taken to mean the delivery of checkmate or the winning of material. In other words, a draw is claimable if the opponent is merely attempting to win on time, or cannot possibly win except by on time. It is up to the arbiter to decide whether such a claim will be granted or not.

[edit] Frequency of draws

In chess games played at the top level, a draw is the most common outcome of a game: of around 22,000 games published in The Week in Chess played between 1999 and 2002 by players with a FIDE Elo rating of 2500 or above, 55 percent were draws. Roughly 36 percent of games between top computer chess programs are draws (more than are won by White or won by Black) [1].

[edit] Articles on draw rules

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ CCRL 40/40. Computer Chess Ratings List (2007-08-17). Retrieved on 2007-09-23.

[edit] References

  • Just, Tim & Burg, Daniel B. (2003), U.S. Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess (fifth ed.), McKay, ISBN 0-8129-3559-4 

[edit] Further reading

  • McCrary, John (2004), “The Evolution of Special Draw Rules”, Chess Life (no. November): 26-27 

[edit] External links