The 8 ways a chess game can be drawn
The difference that matters most in practice: some draws end the game automatically, and some only happen if a player claims them correctly.
| Draw | What happens | How it ends | FIDE Laws |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stalemate | Player to move has no legal move and is not in check | Automatic | Art. 5.2.1 |
| Dead position | Neither side can checkmate by any series of legal moves (e.g. king vs king) | Automatic | Art. 5.2.2 |
| Agreement | Both players agree; event rules may restrict early draws | Agreed | Art. 5.2.3, 9.1 |
| Threefold repetition | Same position for the third time, same player to move | Must be claimed | Art. 9.2 |
| Fivefold repetition | Same position for the fifth time | Automatic | Art. 9.6.1 |
| 50-move rule | 50 moves each with no pawn move and no capture | Must be claimed | Art. 9.3 |
| 75-move rule | 75 moves each with no pawn move and no capture (unless the last move mates) | Automatic | Art. 9.6.2 |
| Time out vs no mating material | A flag falls, but the opponent cannot possibly checkmate | Automatic | Art. 6.9 |
Is it a draw? Answer a few questions
Answer yes or no about your game. The checker walks the rules in the order an arbiter would and tells you which one applies, and whether you need to claim it.
Question 1
The same checklist as text
- No legal move for the player to move? If they are in check it is checkmate; if not, it is a draw by stalemate (Art. 5.2.1).
- Can nobody checkmate by any series of legal moves? Draw, dead position (Art. 5.2.2).
- Did a flag fall? A loss on time, unless the opponent could never checkmate: then a draw (Art. 6.9).
- Same position five times? Automatic draw (Art. 9.6.1).
- Same position three times (or about to be)? Draw if the player to move claims it (Art. 9.2).
- 75 moves each with no pawn move or capture? Automatic draw, unless the last move mated (Art. 9.6.2).
- 50 moves each with no pawn move or capture? Draw if claimed (Art. 9.3).
- Both players agree? Draw (Art. 5.2.3), subject to event rules (Art. 9.1).
- Otherwise: not a draw, play on.
Stalemate
Black to move, not in check, no legal move. That is stalemate: a draw, however much material White has. Open in the analysis board
The player to move has no legal move and is not in check. The game is drawn immediately (Art. 5.2.1). It is the draw that most often surprises beginners, because the side with far more material gets only half a point.
We cover it in depth, with an 11-position trainer, in what is a stalemate in chess.
Dead position (insufficient material)
If neither player can checkmate “by any series of legal moves”, the game is over at once (Art. 5.2.2). Online this is usually called insufficient material.
The test is not whether mate can be forced, but whether it is possible at all, even with terrible play by the other side. That is why the last two positions below are not draws yet:
Neither side has anything to checkmate with. Open in the analysis board
A bishop and king cannot force, or even allow, checkmate of a lone king. Open in the analysis board
Same with a single knight: no checkmate is possible. Open in the analysis board
Both bishops run on dark squares, so no checkmate can ever be built. Open in the analysis board
Not a dead position: a checkmate is possible if one side cooperates badly, so play continues (it usually ends in agreement or the 50-move rule). Open in the analysis board
Not dead either: a mate can arise if one player blunders, so play continues. Open in the analysis board
Threefold and fivefold repetition
When the same position appears for the third time, the player to move may claim a draw (Art. 9.2). At the fifth time the game is drawn automatically (Art. 9.6.1).
- “Same position” means the same player to move, the same pieces on the same squares, and the same possible moves, including the same castling and en passant rights (Art. 9.2.3).
- The moves do not have to repeat in a row. The position just has to occur three times in the game.
- Perpetual check is the usual way it happens: one side checks forever and the other cannot escape.
Here is the simplest example, starting from the opening position. Both sides shuffle a knight out and back:
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.Ng1 Ng8 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Ng1 Ng8
After 4…Ng8 the starting position, with White to move, has appeared for the third time (counting the very start of the game), so White could claim a draw. chess.js confirms the threefold repetition appears exactly at that move and not before.
How to claim it over the board
- Do not touch a piece: touching one loses your right to claim on that move (Art. 9.4).
- If your move will create the repetition, write it on your scoresheet first and declare it to the arbiter (Art. 9.2.1).
- Pause the clock and call the arbiter. A correct claim draws the game at once. A wrong claim gives your opponent two extra minutes and the game continues (Art. 9.5).
The 50-move and 75-move rules
If each player has made 50 moves in a row without any pawn move and without any capture, the player to move can claim a draw (Art. 9.3). At 75 moves each, the game is drawn automatically, unless the last move was checkmate (Art. 9.6.2).
- The count resets every time a pawn moves or anything is captured.
- “50 moves” means 50 by each player, which is 100 single moves in total. A FEN records this as the half-move clock, which reaches 100.
- Checkmate wins first. If the move that completes the count gives mate, the mate stands.
“Only a king left: how many moves?”
There is no special countdown for a lone king in the FIDE Laws. Two cases:
- If the other side cannot possibly mate (only a king, or king and one knight or bishop), it is already a dead position: drawn at once.
- If the other side can mate, the normal 50-move rule applies: if they have not mated within 50 moves each without a pawn move or capture, you can claim a draw.
Practising the basic mates keeps you well inside 50 moves: see the king and rook checkmate.
Draw by agreement
Both players simply agree the game is a draw (Art. 5.2.3). Over the board, offer a draw after making your move and before pressing your clock, without conditions; once made, the offer cannot be withdrawn (Art. 9.1.2.1). Event rules may forbid draw offers before a set move or without the arbiter’s consent (Art. 9.1.1), so check the regulations of your tournament.
Running out of time, when the opponent cannot win
Running out of time normally loses. But if your opponent could not checkmate you by any series of legal moves, the game is a draw instead (Art. 6.9). For example: you have king and pawns, your clock runs out, and your opponent has only a king. Nobody can mate you, so it is a draw.
Watch the wording: it is about whether a mate is possible, not likely. If your opponent has a lone knight and you still have pawns, a mate is possible with your “help” (your own pawns can block your king), so running out of time can still lose.
Online vs over the board
The FIDE Laws above apply to over-the-board games. Online, the site plays the arbiter: most major sites end the game automatically on threefold repetition, the 50-move rule and insufficient material, instead of waiting for a claim. Check your site’s help pages for its exact rules. If you want to know whether a drawn-looking position was actually winning, load it into the analysis board or run a game review.
Draw FAQ
What is a draw in chess?
A game that ends with neither player winning. Each player scores half a point (½–½). It is chess’s version of a tie.
Can you tie in chess?
Yes. A tie in chess is called a draw. It can happen by stalemate, a dead position, agreement, repetition, the 50- or 75-move rule, or a time-out when the opponent has no mating material.
What is the 50-move rule?
If both players make 50 moves in a row with no pawn move and no capture, the player to move can claim a draw (Art. 9.3). After 75 such moves each, the game is drawn automatically (Art. 9.6.2).
Is threefold repetition automatic?
Not under the FIDE Laws. A player must claim it (Art. 9.2). Only fivefold repetition is automatic (Art. 9.6.1). Online sites usually end the game for you.
Does the repeated position have to come from the same moves?
No. The same position counts however it arises, as long as the same player is to move and castling and en passant rights are the same (Art. 9.2.3).
If only a king is left, how many moves until it is a draw?
There is no special count for a lone king in the FIDE Laws. If the other side cannot possibly mate (for example king and knight), the game is already drawn as a dead position. Otherwise the normal 50-move and 75-move rules apply.
Is king and two knights against king a draw?
It cannot be forced to mate, but it is not a dead position, because mate is possible if the lone king walks into it. Play continues until another draw rule applies.
What happens if you run out of time with a winning position?
You lose, unless your opponent cannot checkmate you by any series of legal moves. Then it is a draw (Art. 6.9).
Can you offer a draw at any time?
Under FIDE rules you offer after making your move and before pressing the clock, and you cannot take it back (Art. 9.1.2.1). Some events forbid draw offers before a certain move.
Is stalemate a draw?
Yes. Stalemate is always a draw, however much material the other side has.
How we checked this
Every position is a FEN loaded into chess.js 1.4.0. Its stalemate, insufficient-material, threefold-repetition and 50-move checks confirmed each example, and the page build stops if any disagrees. One difference to note: chess.js, like most online sites, treats threefold repetition and the 50-move rule as automatic, while under the FIDE Laws they must be claimed. The rules on this page follow the FIDE Laws. No engine evaluations are used.
Show all positions with chess.js results
| Position | FEN / moves | chess.js result |
|---|---|---|
| Stalemate | 7k/5K2/6Q1/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1 | 0 legal moves, not in check: stalemate |
| King vs king | 8/8/4k3/8/8/3K4/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: yes (dead position) |
| King and bishop vs king | 8/8/4k3/8/8/3KB3/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: yes (dead position) |
| King and knight vs king | 8/8/4k3/8/8/3KN3/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: yes (dead position) |
| Bishops on the same colour | 8/8/3bk3/8/8/3KB3/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: yes (dead position) |
| Bishops on opposite colours | 8/8/2b1k3/8/8/3KB3/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: no (play continues) |
| Knight vs knight | 8/8/3nk3/8/8/3KN3/8/8 w - - 0 1 | insufficient material: no (play continues) |
| Knight dance (start position) | Start position, then Nf3 Nf6 Ng1 Ng8 Nf3 Nf6 Ng1 Ng8 | threefold repetition reached after the 8th half-move, not before |
| 50-move counter | 8/8/4k3/8/8/3KR3/8/8 w - - 99 80 | 99 half-moves: not yet; after Re1: 100 half-moves (50 moves each) |
Sources
- FIDE Laws of Chess, approved 7 August 2022, in force from 1 January 2023: Articles 5.2.1–5.2.3, 6.9, 9.1–9.6. Checked 10 November 2026.