Answers.Body: <p>If you don't count forfeits (including time forfeits) then yes, the two possibilities for losing a game are resignation or checkmate.  There may be other reasons for resignation than material or positional inferiority, however.  </p>
  
  <p>In 2017, GM Hou Yifan resigned after 5 moves in protest over perceived manipulated pairings.  (The pairings were later analyzed and proven to be correct.)</p>
  
  <p>One time I was down an exchange in a tournament game and the police wanted to talk to my opponent. He didn't resign (the TD paused the clock) but had the circumstances necessitated, he might have resigned to go take care of that matter, despite his material superiority.</p>
  
  <p>And, of course, a player might resign without being inferior because they incorrectly <em>believe</em> they are inferior. Even strong players will occasionally resign a game that should be a draw or even a win for them.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T20:51:04.887Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-10-20T20:51:04.887Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: D M
Body: <p>My understanding is that there are basically two ways in which a game of chess is won.</p>
  
  <p>(1) One side gives (or forces) checkmate, regardless of material situation on the board. He may be in material inferiority, but mate is unavoidable.</p>
  
  <p>(2) One side achieves enough material (or positional) superiority that with correct play will inevitably lead to a material advantage (if superiority was positional) won endgame and then checkmate, although at this stage mate is hardly forced. But the other side, for reasons above explained, resigns. </p>
  
  <p>Am I missing something? Are there a 3rd, and maybe even a 4th, case (not considering forfeits, illegal moves, and so on...), in which a game is won?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T11:46:17.910Z
Comments.Text: Mobile phone, time loss.
Comments.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T11:47:40.157Z
Comments.Text: Yes, time loss indeed. What do you mean by "mobile phone"?
Comments.UserDisplayName: A. N. Other
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T11:53:03.580Z
Comments.Text: He means the case when you're caught with a mobile phone in the playing hall.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Wais Kamal
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T11:53:40.923Z
Comments.Text: Yes, I meant, "regular" ways, not cheating or else...
Comments.UserDisplayName: A. N. Other
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T12:01:36.087Z
Comments.Text: @A.N.Other Regular chess? It's resignation, time loss or checkmate. What else do you expect?
Comments.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T12:04:55.193Z
Comments.Text: Look at my question. Yes resignation, why? Material disadvantage, positional disadvantage, mate is unavoidable (which could be a different form of "positional disadvantage" indeed, although in the broader case mate is not forced). Else?
Comments.UserDisplayName: A. N. Other
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T12:59:55.200Z
Comments.Text: Illegal move as well.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Federico Poloni
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2018-10-20T15:32:42.713Z
Comments.Text: If (as you seem to want) you exclude all the unusual wins (forfeiting for cheating, time loss, etc), chess is won by checkmate *only*. Even your second example ( resigning because of material/positional disadvantage) is a kind of forced checkmate, just with a large number of moved to mate....
Comments.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Tags: <endgame><checkmate><material-balance><winning>
Title: How is a game of chess won?
ThreadText: # How is a game of chess won?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-20)
  
  My understanding is that there are basically two ways in which a game of chess is won.
  
  (1) One side gives (or forces) checkmate, regardless of material situation on the board. He may be in material inferiority, but mate is unavoidable.
  
  (2) One side achieves enough material (or positional) superiority that with correct play will inevitably lead to a material advantage (if superiority was positional) won endgame and then checkmate, although at this stage mate is hardly forced. But the other side, for reasons above explained, resigns.
  
  Am I missing something? Are there a 3rd, and maybe even a 4th, case (not considering forfeits, illegal moves, and so on...), in which a game is won?
  
  **Tags:** endgame, checkmate, material-balance, winning
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Mobile phone, time loss.  
  > **username_0**: Yes, time loss indeed. What do you mean by "mobile phone"?  
  > **username_2**: He means the case when you're caught with a mobile phone in the playing hall.  
  > **username_0**: Yes, I meant, "regular" ways, not cheating or else...  
  > **username_1**: @A.N.Other Regular chess? It's resignation, time loss or checkmate. What else do you expect?  
  > **username_0**: Look at my question. Yes resignation, why? Material disadvantage, positional disadvantage, mate is unavoidable (which could be a different form of "positional disadvantage" indeed, although in the broader case mate is not forced). Else?  
  > **username_3**: Illegal move as well.  
  > **username_4**: If (as you seem to want) you exclude all the unusual wins (forfeiting for cheating, time loss, etc), chess is won by checkmate *only*. Even your second example ( resigning because of material/positional disadvantage) is a kind of forced checkmate, just with a large number of moved to mate....  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2018-10-20. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  If you don't count forfeits (including time forfeits) then yes, the two possibilities for losing a game are resignation or checkmate. There may be other reasons for resignation than material or positional inferiority, however.
  
  In 2017, GM Hou Yifan resigned after 5 moves in protest over perceived manipulated pairings. (The pairings were later analyzed and proven to be correct.)
  
  One time I was down an exchange in a tournament game and the police wanted to talk to my opponent. He didn't resign (the TD paused the clock) but had the circumstances necessitated, he might have resigned to go take care of that matter, despite his material superiority.
  
  And, of course, a player might resign without being inferior because they incorrectly *believe* they are inferior. Even strong players will occasionally resign a game that should be a draw or even a win for them.
  
  
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