When is the Game Won or Lost?

There is one and only one way to win a game of chess that does not use time limits. By checkmating the opponents king. If the king is in checkmate then it is check, has no squares that it can move to that are free of check, and there is no piece that can block the check. Determining when a checkmate has occurred can sometimes be complicated and many games are finished when both players think there's a checkmate when there really isn't one and they don't realize it until later! This has happened to me a few times.

A draw can occur in chess in many ways. In fact this is the way most games among very strong opponents of equal strength end up. Firstly, a draw occurs if both players agree that there's no way for a player to win the game. This is called a draw by agreement. Another way for a draw to occur is by stalemate. This is when one player cannot move any where on the board, but his king is not in check. Other ways for draws to occur in a game of chess are:

1. 3 Move Repetition- If the same position is reached three times in a row then the game is drawn.
2. 50 Move Rule - If fifty moves are made but no captures have occurred then the game is drawn.