Very simply, a stalemate is a position in a chess game when the player who is supposed to move next cannot make a legal move and is not in check.
One of the hardest chess concepts for a beginning player to learn is that a game can end without a winner. Doesn’t every game have a winner? Not in chess!
Particularly at the elite level, chess games often end in a tie. When players think that neither one can win, they may agree to a draw, or a tie. Stalemate is a special type of a draw.
Another situation when no one wins is called a stalemate. Players must make legal moves when it’s their turn to play. When the player to move is not in check and cannot make a legal move, the result is a stalemate, and the game is automatically a draw.
A stalemate may occur with many pieces on the board, although usually the person who is in stalemate doesn't have many remaining. Because it may also occur even when one player has an overwhelming advantage, be careful to avoid a stalemate when you are winning. If you are losing, look for how you can create the conditions for a stalemate.
When you are winning, make sure you avoid a stalemate. Always make sure that your opponent’s king or another piece can move after you make a move if you have not placed the king in check.
If all of your opponent’s pieces are blocked by other pieces or cannot move because they are pinned as protection for the king, make sure that the king can move. If the king cannot move, then a stalemate is the result. Observe in the following diagram that the game ends in a stalemate if it’s Black turn to move.
Similarly, if your opponent is winning but not paying attention, you may be able to avoid a loss if you can create the conditions for a stalemate. If your opponent is more interested in capturing pieces than forcing you into a checkmate, can you place your king where it is not in check and cannot move? Are your other pieces blocked so that they cannot move? If so, you may have to explain what “stalemate” means to your opponent. Click on the following link to learn more by watching a video with FunMasterMike:
https://www.chesskid.com/learn/videos/stalemate
Now that you know about stalemate, don’t let your opponent surprise you when you are winning and tell you, “Stalemate!”