As chess players, we are always looking for the win. Sometimes we obtain it and other times we lose. However, occasionally we are endowed with neither of these results, but receive the strange middle-ground: The half point.
This can be particularly annoying if we were about to win, but failed on the execution and gave the opponent an opportunity for a draw, which he seizes passionately. Alternatively, we might be on the verge of defeat and find that one wonderful move that salvages the game by obtaining the draw. It could, of course, also be one of those really boring games where neither player believes anything is going to happen, and when the reality of nothingness occurs, a draw arises.
Regardless of how the draw might arise, it is a fact of life that is as foundational to chess as Assets = Liabilities + Equity is to accounting. The thing is, however, that there is more to the word “draw” than just the half point. In addition to the reality of the draw, there is also the how. How does the draw come about? If you have been playing chess for a while, you probably know about draws. You have probably been thought that if a player is not in check but has no move, the game is drawn by stalemate. You probably also know all about draws by agreement and maybe have heard about triple repetition of position. Although these are some of the commonest draws out there, there are many other ways in which the game could be drawn, the majority of which you likely have never heard about.
This article will briefly enumerate every possible type of draw you can find in the Rulebook. Please note that the following draws apply to in-person regular rated events and that such draws may vary in other formats. All of the ways in which you can possibly draw are as follows:-
- Stalemate: If either player has no legal move and is not in check, the game is drawn.
- Agreement: Any game may be drawn by the agreement of both players.
- Insufficient Material to Continue: If there are no legal moves that could enable either player to be checkmated by his opponent, the game is drawn. Insufficient material for this purpose includes king v. king and king v. knight/bishop.
- Insufficient Material to Win on Time: Although running out of time (i.e., a flag fall) usually results in a lost to the player whose time expired, his opponent must have mating material to claim the win. Unless a forced win is evident, if the opponent only has a king, either alone or with one bishop, a knight or two knights, the game is a draw.
- Double Flag Fall: If, in a sudden death time control, both players run out of time before either player calls out a flag fall, the game is drawn.
- Triple Repetition of Position: Whenever the same position has occurred three times on the chessboard, the game is drawn. If this draw is about to occur, the proper procedure to claim the draw is to not actually make the move causing the triple repetition. Instead, you need to write this move on your scoresheet, stop the clock, notify your opponent of the draw and report the result in the manner prescribed by the organizer. Unless he has less than five minutes remaining on their clock, a player must be notating to claim a draw by triple repetition of position.
- 50-Move Rule: Should fifty successive moves have occurred without a capture or pawn move, the game is drawn. The requirement to notate for triple repetition of position also applies to the 50-move rule.
- Insufficient Losing Chances: This is a very complex draw that is beyond the scope of this article. In essence, the draw only applies if the tournament director elects its application and then only in cases where the clock is not delay capable or is not using a delay or increment that is properly set.
- Failure to Report: If both players failed to report the result of any game, the director has several options to treat the result for prize and pairing purposes. One of these options is to record the higher rated player as a win and the lower rated player as a draw.
- Adjudication: In certain cases, the tournament director may intervene and declare a game a draw if that is the most equitable solution to a dispute, such as in the case of a missing envelope in adjournments. A director may also declare a game drawn if the same position has occurred five times or seventy-five successive moves have occurred without a capture or pawn move.
Thus concludes the ten ways in which your game could become a draw. If you would like more detail about any of these draws, consult the applicable provisions of the Rulebook (most are in Rule 14) or post a question in the comments. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this article and will find it useful in your future games!
Bibliography: USCF’s Official Rules of Chess (7th Edition), 2019, Chapters 1-2.