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The insufficient mating material rule says that the game is immediately declared a draw if there is no way to end the game in checkmate. This usually happens in KB vs K or KN vs K endgames. However, based on the definition, it is theoretically possible to have more materials while checkmating is theoretically impossible, such as the following:

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So what is the theoretical maximal total of material for the insufficient material draw? Here I am only asking legal positions; so adding a few white light coloured bishop to my example will not count.

Rewan Demontay
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Zuriel
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    This isn't really "insufficient material"; it's a "dead position". Material would be more than sufficient if there was any way to get it unstuck. – D M Jul 13 '20 at 02:11
  • Check out https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/18699/maximum-number-of-pieces-on-board-in-dead-position - does that answer the question? – D M Jul 13 '20 at 02:13
  • @DM, I thought "insufficient material" means checkmate is theoretically impossible? – Zuriel Jul 13 '20 at 02:25
  • @DM, Yes, thank you for the link! – Zuriel Jul 13 '20 at 02:25
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    The confusion exists because "insufficient material" exists in USCF rules, and "dead position" exists in FIDE rules. They are similar but different. – RemcoGerlich Jul 13 '20 at 08:37
  • You can give each player both rooks, and still the position is dead. – Aganju Jul 14 '20 at 20:36
  • @Aganju, if white moves his rook to b2, black can capture it and possibly win the game. – Zuriel Jul 15 '20 at 00:59
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    you are right, of course. I thought about it hard, but it seems my subconscious still silently removed obviously stupid moves, so I never saw it. – Aganju Jul 15 '20 at 17:07

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