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Questions tagged [dead-position]

Neither player can checkmate the opponent’s king with any series of legal moves.

Under FIDE Laws, Art 1.3 & 5.2.2, the game ends in a ‘dead position’ when a position has arisen in which neither player can checkmate the opponent’s king with any series of legal moves.

Examples of dead positions involve King vs King, King and Bishop vs King, King and Knight vs King. Note that King and two knights vs King is not a dead position, since there is a series of legal moves which is possible for Black to be checkmated.

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What is sufficient mating material?

The FIDE chess rules describe that "The game is draw when a position is reached from which a checkmate cannot occur by any possible series of legal moves" (FIDE rule 9.6). This rules is sometimes referred to as "Insufficient mating material rule",…
Morten Zilmer
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Is the dead position problem solvable?

In chess, there are some dead positions (FIDE Laws of Chess). 5.2.2 The game is drawn when a position has arisen in which neither player can checkmate the opponent’s king with any series of legal moves. The game is said to end in a ‘dead position’.…
user17439
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What happens after two kings stay on the board?

A lot of times my sibling and I have played chess and have ended up with just two kings. We have never known what would happen next. Two kings on the board would somehow result in an infinite game, as each can move forever wheresoever they like…
Veo
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When checkmate is impossible in a position

The laws of chess say 1.5. If the position is such that neither player can possibly checkmate the opponent’s king, the game is drawn (see Article 5.2.2). 5.2.2. The game is drawn when a position has arisen in which neither player can checkmate the…
usul
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Maximum number of pieces on board in dead position

It is possible in a chess game to have a dead position in which both players have all eight pawns, one bishop, and a king--20 pieces total. If the two players' pawns are interlocked in "zig-zag" fashion and each player's bishop is the same color as…
supercat
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Open problems in chess involving maximum material imbalances

I am posting the present question since here Very unbalanced Chess Positions I have introduced three open problems (i.e., the third one, the fourth one, and the sixth one from the above), regarding maximum material imbalances reachable in final…
Marco Ripà
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Does 'dead position' consider the 75 moves rule?

In 5.2.2 of the FIDE laws it says: The game is drawn when a position has arisen in which neither player can checkmate the opponent’s king with any series of legal moves. The game is said to end in a ‘dead position’. and in 9.6.2 it says [If one…
koedem
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What will happen if you have a position where no one can lose?

What will happen if you have a position where no one can lose? [fen "5k2/8/1p1p1p2/pBpP1Pp1/P1PpK1P1/1P1Pb3/8/8 b - - 0 1"] Here is my game, I know it is live960 but I was wondering the outcome for a standard format chess game; will it be a draw…
Varun W.
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Why does this game not end as a draw by insufficient material?

I played an online game at chess.com and here is the endgame: [fen "8/8/1p2p2k/pP2P1p1/P1K3P1/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"] After white's last move a4, I thought the game ends immediately as a draw by insufficient material as checkmate is theoretically…
Zuriel
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Has a position being a draw under FIDE 5.2.b before a forced recapture ever come up in a tournament?

Tom7 points out that FIDE article 5.2.b reads: The game is drawn when a position has arisen in which neither player can checkmate the opponent’s king with any series of legal moves. The game is said to end in a ‘dead position’. This immediately…
QuestionAskingHuman
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A question about draw detection in chess engines

Let us look at this position. [FEN "4k3/8/8/p1p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1"] This is obviously a draw. Analyzing this with the Stockfish engine says that it is a balanced position. However, Stockfish does not recognize that it is a…
banana_bunny
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What is "mating potential" in the FIDE Arbiter's Manual meant to mean?

While researching an answer for another SE.chess question (Has a position being a draw under FIDE 5.2.b before a forced recapture ever come up in a tournament?), I stumbled across the following issue. The FIDE Arbiter’s Manual annotates the Laws of…
Laska
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Longest "death certificate"

Give a legal position which is "dead" but would take (assuming the §5.2.2 about dead positions wouldn't exist) maximally long to play out until an automatic draw by fivefold, 75 moves or statemate results. [FEN "5b1k/4p1pB/4PbP1/8/8/8/8/7K w KQkq -…
Hauke Reddmann
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A special "dead" position

Construct a position which forcibly leads to White or Black being stalemated (and both events are actually possible), meaning that the position is already dead. Further (or it would be too easy) all possible lines (which you thus of course can't…
Hauke Reddmann
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How would I detect dead position in a tablebase?

I am programming a tablebase for fairy chess, and would like to conclude the game if mate cannot be reached in any way. I guess this has to be detected when the evaluation (win in... / loss in... / draw) is created. So far, my (working) algorithm…
Ferazhu
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