In chess, a king cannot "die" in the sense of being captured like other pieces. Instead, if the king is in a position where it is under immediate attack (check), and there is no way to remove it from attack, move it away, or block the attack, the king is considered to be checkmated, and the game is over; the player whose king is checkmated loses.
However, a different, related situation can occur where the king cannot move legally but isn't in check. This is called a stalemate. According to the reference, if the king is in a position where it is not in check but there are no legal moves for any pieces, the king is said to have been stalemated, and the game ends in a draw. A player might attempt to force a stalemate to avoid losing when their position is weak.
Here is a table summarizing the differences:
| Situation | King Under Attack? | Legal Moves Available for any of player's Pieces? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkmate | Yes | No | Game Over, Checkmated Player Loses |
| Stalemate | No | No | Game Over, Draw |
Key differences between Checkmate and Stalemate:
- Checkmate results in a loss for the checkmated player, whereas a stalemate leads to a draw.
- In checkmate, the king is under attack (in check) and cannot escape that attack.
- In a stalemate, the king is not under attack (not in check), but the player whose turn it is has no legal moves to make with any of their pieces.
The reference also mentions that players with a weak position will try to make their opponent put the king in stalemate, which would result in a draw.
