The Stalemate Resource

Black to play and draw

Play

Down a whole rook, Black still draws, and the weapon is stalemate: a rook-pawn plus a well-placed king can leave the defender with no legal move.

No signup needed. The opponent never gives up, and every mistake gets explained.

The Stalemate Resource

Hold the draw against perfect play

Waking the engine…

The theory

Stalemate is the defender's great equalizer, and nowhere is it more common than in rook endings where a lone pawn survives beside its king.

The pattern. With a rook-pawn, the defending king can be walled into the corner so tightly that capturing the pawn or advancing the attacking king leaves it with no move at all.

Staying connected. The trick only works while king and pawn stand together. If the attacker shoulders the king away, the stalemate net disappears.

In this drill you defend the half-point, so steer toward the corner and let the attacker walk into the stalemate rather than out of it.

Keep going

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