Featured Rules & Gameplay

How Games End

Learn about all the ways a chess game can end.

Win Conditions

Checkmate

The most common way to win. Your opponent's king is under attack and cannot escape, block, or capture the attacking piece.

Resignation

A player may resign at any time, conceding the game to their opponent.

Timeout

If a player runs out of time on their clock, they lose the game (with some exceptions - see below).

Draw Conditions

Stalemate

The player to move has no legal moves, but their king is NOT in check. The game is a draw.

Insufficient Material

Neither player has enough pieces to deliver checkmate. Common examples:
- King vs King
- King and Bishop vs King
- King and Knight vs King

50-Move Rule

If 50 moves pass without a pawn move or capture, either player may claim a draw.

Threefold Repetition

If the same position occurs three times with the same player to move, a draw can be claimed.

Agreement

Both players may agree to a draw at any time.

Last updated: January 15, 2026 20 views