Answers.Body: <p>It's possible to build a bit on magd's answer. Consider the following position.</p>
  
  <pre><code> [Title "White to move"] 
   [SetUp "1"]
   [FEN "8/8/8/8/8/1N6/pk1K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
   1. Na1! Kxa1 2. Kc1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The only way to draw is <code>1. Na1! Kxa1 2.Kc1</code> (or <code>2. Kc2</code>) stalemate. I think there are some nice studies with this theme, but I can't find them right now. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:59:24.690Z
Answers.Text: Still the same pattern, but a nice example. Thanks. :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keba
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T10:16:00.520Z
Answers.Text: Note that the alternate lines for black are also stalemates: 1. ... Ka3 2. Kc2 Ka4 3. Kb2 and Black's pawn is lost. 1. ... Kb1 2. Kc1 and White maintains opposition, forcing Black to change to one of the other lines or allow White to invoke the repeated positions rule.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Esoteric Screen Name
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T10:24:39.820Z
Answers.Text: The other lines are stalemate in the sense of a draw, not a real stalemate. Black isn't forced to go along with the stalemate.
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T10:36:40.940Z
Answers.Text: @magd Yes, it's true that black can move back and forth or abandon the pawn, but it's the stalemate idea that saves the draw for white.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T10:39:35.717Z
Answers.Text: It does in the pawn ending :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:52:52.870Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-03-20T00:52:52.870Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Answers.Body: <p>Here is an example of such a position.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "4k2K/7P/8/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
  [startflipped ""]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The only ways to draw are Kf8 and Kf7, since both stop Kg8 and stalemate the opponent. This has surely been played in master games.</p>
  
  <p>For a slightly more complicated pawn endgame see, here is a <a href="https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1472881" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anand - Kramnik</a> game. Black has to stalemate White at the end of this game, or else they lose.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:26:28.640Z
Answers.Text: I feel somewhat stupid now, as I do know this exact idea. However, thanks for your quick answer.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keba
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:41:36.480Z
Answers.Text: You can add extra pawns on h6, h5, h4, h3 and h2 :D
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:48:03.553Z
Answers.Text: Yes, and some blocked pawns and even not too far advanced black passers. Even two Black knights on a1 and b1 do not change the position a lot (more central knights allow other defence methods). And even more obviously, one could just mirror the example you gave.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keba
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T01:14:35.360Z
Answers.Text: Here's another position W - Rh8 Kg8 Ph7, g7 B - Kd8. Black draws by Kd8- e8 or e7. In fact you can stalemate White's entire army this way. Hee-hee this is fun!
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T01:21:31.373Z
Answers.Text: Hah, you can even fill c7 to h7 with White pawns and d8 to h8 with white queens, rooks and bishops (if that‘s a legal position then), a white king on c8 and a black king an a6. Draws in an amazing way. :D You could even add some knights to the back rank if you add pawns on the sixth rank as well. I (now, at least) believe you could stalemate 16 white pieces with your lone king (knights on h8 and f8 only need pawns on g6 and e6 in order to be stalemated).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keba
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-01-06T06:40:05.310Z
Answers.Text: I don't see how that would arise. White's last move could have been to move their king from g8 or g7 or their pawn from h6. If their king were on g8 or g7, they would have just promoted the pawn. If their pawn were on h6, they would have moved their king out of the way.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Acccumulation
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-10-06T15:24:35.890Z
Answers.Text: @Accumulation The king could have captured an enemy piece on h8. Did you not read the other answers?
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:21:08.363Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-04-08T16:42:34.853Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-04-08T16:42:34.853Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Body: <p>There are some defensive ideas to get one's own king stalemated in order to not lose the game (mostly in the endgame, but sometimes also in the middle game).</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>Have (master) games been played where the only idea not to lose was to stalemate the <em>opponent</em>?</p></li>
  <li><p>What about any legal position (which need not have occurred in a real game)?</p></li>
  <li>What if you forget about the "only idea" requirement?</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p><strong>Edit:</strong> Although there is already a totally fine answer, I would not mind more answers using another patterns.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:06:29.383Z
Comments.Text: There are cases where a player can sacrifice a piece such that the only response leads to stalemate but these events are few and far between.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:18:50.397Z
Comments.Text: Cheat answer but you can stalemate the opponent not to lose on time in a guillotine finish.
Comments.UserDisplayName: magd
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-03-20T00:24:44.907Z
Comments.Text: @magd: Ah of course, I have not thought of that. (And you are right, that is not really the answer I was looking for.)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Keba
Tags: <problems><stalemate>
Title: Stalemating the opponent in order to not lose
ThreadText: # Stalemating the opponent in order to not lose
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-19)
  
  There are some defensive ideas to get one's own king stalemated in order to not lose the game (mostly in the endgame, but sometimes also in the middle game).
  
  1. Have (master) games been played where the only idea not to lose was to stalemate the *opponent*?
  2. What about any legal position (which need not have occurred in a real game)?
  3. What if you forget about the "only idea" requirement?
  
  **Edit:** Although there is already a totally fine answer, I would not mind more answers using another patterns.
  
  **Tags:** problems, stalemate
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: There are cases where a player can sacrifice a piece such that the only response leads to stalemate but these events are few and far between.  
  > **username_2**: Cheat answer but you can stalemate the opponent not to lose on time in a guillotine finish.  
  > **username_0**: @username_2: Ah of course, I have not thought of that. (And you are right, that is not really the answer I was looking for.)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-03-20. Score: 8
  
  It's possible to build a bit on username_2's answer. Consider the following position.
   [Title "White to move"] 
   [SetUp "1"]
   [FEN "8/8/8/8/8/1N6/pk1K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
   1. Na1! Kxa1 2. Kc1
  
  The only way to draw is 1. Na1! Kxa1 2.Kc1 (or 2. Kc2) stalemate. I think there are some nice studies with this theme, but I can't find them right now.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Still the same pattern, but a nice example. Thanks. :)  
  > **username_4**: Note that the alternate lines for black are also stalemates: 1. ... Ka3 2. Kc2 Ka4 3. Kb2 and Black's pawn is lost. 1. ... Kb1 2. Kc1 and White maintains opposition, forcing Black to change to one of the other lines or allow White to invoke the repeated positions rule.  
  > **username_2**: The other lines are stalemate in the sense of a draw, not a real stalemate. Black isn't forced to go along with the stalemate.  
  > **username_3**: @username_2 Yes, it's true that black can move back and forth or abandon the pawn, but it's the stalemate idea that saves the draw for white.  
  > **username_2**: It does in the pawn ending :)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-20. Score: 6
  
  Here is an example of such a position.
  [FEN "4k2K/7P/8/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
  [startflipped ""]
  
  The only ways to draw are Kf8 and Kf7, since both stop Kg8 and stalemate the opponent. This has surely been played in master games.
  For a slightly more complicated pawn endgame see, here is a Anand - Kramnik game. Black has to stalemate White at the end of this game, or else they lose.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I feel somewhat stupid now, as I do know this exact idea. However, thanks for your quick answer.  
  > **username_2**: You can add extra pawns on h6, h5, h4, h3 and h2 :D  
  > **username_0**: Yes, and some blocked pawns and even not too far advanced black passers. Even two Black knights on a1 and b1 do not change the position a lot (more central knights allow other defence methods). And even more obviously, one could just mirror the example you gave.  
  > **username_2**: Here's another position W - Rh8 Kg8 Ph7, g7 B - Kd8. Black draws by Kd8- e8 or e7. In fact you can stalemate White's entire army this way. Hee-hee this is fun!  
  > **username_0**: Hah, you can even fill c7 to h7 with White pawns and d8 to h8 with white queens, rooks and bishops (if that‘s a legal position then), a white king on c8 and a black king an a6. Draws in an amazing way. :D You could even add some knights to the back rank if you add pawns on the sixth rank as well. I (now, at least) believe you could stalemate 16 white pieces with your lone king (knights on h8 and f8 only need pawns on g6 and e6 in order to be stalemated).  
  > **username_5**: I don't see how that would arise. White's last move could have been to move their king from g8 or g7 or their pawn from h6. If their king were on g8 or g7, they would have just promoted the pawn. If their pawn were on h6, they would have moved their king out of the way.  
  > **username_2**: @Accumulation The king could have captured an enemy piece on h8. Did you not read the other answers?  
  
  ---
  
  