Draws

Step 1

A game can end in a draw: by stalemate, by agreement, or in the cases that follow.

Step 2

Not enough material: a king alone, or a king with just one bishop or one knight, can never give mate.

Step 3

Threefold repetition: when the same position appears three times, a draw may be claimed. It often comes from endless checks.

Step 4

The fifty-move rule: after fifty moves by each side with no capture and no pawn move, the game is drawn.

Step 5

Which of these is a draw, whatever happens?

1. King and knight against a lone king
2. King and queen against a lone king
3. King and rook against a lone king