Expert: Chuck Kinzie - 1/10/2010

Question
If you get your opponent into a situation where they are not in check but cannot move without putting themselves into check, is that a draw? That seems to penalize the stronger player (who may still have many pieces on the board) and reward the weaker player in a manner not unlike a guilty person getting a technical win in a courtroom. I like to think of chess as the ultimate example of fair play -- no cards being distributed, no dice being rolled -- but this particular situation doesn't strike me as fair.

Answer
If the player on the move is not in check AND he has no legal moves, then the game is a draw by stalemate.

Whether or not this is a "fair" outcome is a matter of opinion.  Having said that, the object of a chess game is to capture the opponent's king, not to win all their pieces.  If at no point in the game is a king captured, then a draw seems to be a fair result, in my opinion.

Anyway, thanks for your question, and enjoy your chess!

Your chess friend,

Chuck