In Chess, why do they call it a draw when you have technically won?

Question

I never understand the difference between a draw and a win. I'm playing it on the computer and every time I have the king at my mercy it say's that the game was a draw even though there was no way the king would have survived my wrath. Isn't the point of the game to kill the king? Every time I try to win it keeps making it a draw when I have clearly defeated my opponent.

Please tell me why this is happening and why this rule has been made? I would think as soon as you can kill the king you should win.

Answer 1

Yes, it is a good idea to understand the difference between a draw and a win in chess.

When you understand my answer to your question, then you will win more games.

It is most likely that your chess games are draws because of the stalemate rule.



To avoid a stalemate draw: make sure they can move, or make sure they're in check.



  •   Check: A direct attack on an opponent's king by any piece or pawn.

      When placed in "check", the player must get out of check

      on the very next move by any of the following 3 ways:

        ¹   Move the king to an unattacked square.

        ²   Capture the checking piece, and then no longer be under attack.

        ³   Place a friendly piece between the king and the only checking piece.



  •   Checkmate: When their king is in "check" and they cannot get out of check.

      When you checkmate their king, you win the game.



  •   Stalemate: When a player to move in NOT in check, and has no legal moves.

      Any move they would make with their king would put their king in check and

      they have no other pieces that can move. This game ends in a draw.



A completed drawn chess game can result from any of these following situations:



  •   Drawn by agreement: Both players agree neither can win.



  •   Stalemate: When a king too move has no legal moves, is not in check, and

      no other pieces on the board have legal moves.



  •   Three Fold Repetition: When it can be proven that there has been

      a position on the chessboard is about to have been repeated three times

      (the repeated position does not have to occur consecutively).



  •   50 Move Rule: When it can be proven that there has been

      no piece captured and no pawn moved for 50 moves.



  •   Insufficient Mating Material: Neither player has enough material to checkmate.

      Examples: lone king against lone king; lone king against king and bishop…



  •   Insufficient Losing Chances: In a sudden-death time control,

      when a player has less than five minutes on his clock,

      other than by losing on "time" he/she could not lose,

      the player may make a claim of "insufficient losing chances" to the director.

      The tournament director may choose to call the game a draw.

Answer 2

Short answer: because you've technically drawn.



Pieces aren't killed in chess they're captured.



To win a chess game the opposing king has to be under attack and not able to remove this threat on his turn. If your opponent has no legal moves, but his king isn't under attack, it's called a stalemate which is a draw.



If you have an overwhelming amount of force then simply avoid the stalemate by being sure your opponent will have a legal move when it's his turn.



Another tip:



You're obviously capturing all his remaining pieces before going for the mate -- this is unnecessary. Also by letting him have at least a few pawns that can move, you'll avoid any stalemates.



If this is too complicated:



Then give check every move, eventually it will be a checkmate and you'll win. If you don't stop giving check in this situation then stalemate can't occur. However this is very much a novice tactic.



Otherwise learn the basic mates and/or stop putting the computer on a ludicrously low playing level.

Answer 3

To win, you don't kill the king. There is "Check", "Check Mate", and "Draw"



When you have a bishop, queen, pawn, or whatever in the position to kill the king, but there IS a way out, ( by killing, moving, or blocking with another piece ), that is called a CHECK. You cannot do ANYTHING during a check except go to safety.



When the same circumstances are met, as of above, EXCEPT there ISN'T a way out, that is called a "Check mate", and you win the game.



A draw is if you don't have any other pieces to move, ( you can't move ANYWHERE, even your king, ) It's called a draw. To draw, your king CANNOT be in check.



Did that help?

Answer 4

Question: by using the term kill are you referring to a checkmate? Checkmating is when the king cant get around you and which way, yes but you cant actually kill it. It is the only piece that never leaves the board, so you cant actally capture it.



Drawing can mean a few things, if you are moving the same pieces in the same positions, its considereed a draw because their is no real movement going on. If you opponent only has a king, it can result in a draw because he can only move one space at a time, and he is generally moving in the same posion.



Wining is checking his king in all postion, he cant go anywhere or capture any of your pieces, hes stuck and the game is done.



Well, im not sure if this answered your question but i hope it did.

take care

Answer 5

It was probably a check technically you didnt kill the king to kill the king you gotta corner it where it can't escape usually to make it happen you gotta separate the king and his minions as much as you can.



It's a strategy game that's why they made it more challenging than any other games

Answer 6

Sounds like you are pinning the king down to where it cannot move on it's turn, but you cannot take it from its current position. This is called "Mate", which is a draw. You have to position things to where the king cannot move *and* you can take it on your next turn.

Answer 7

checkmate, someone actually wins

stalemate, technically a draw



you describe a stalemate, NOT a checkmate