Body: <p>The insufficient mating material rule says that the game is immediately declared a draw if there is no way to end the game in checkmate. This usually happens in KB vs K or KN vs K endgames. However, based on the definition, it is theoretically possible to have more materials while checkmating is theoretically impossible, such as the following:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NktAL.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NktAL.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  <p>So what is the theoretical maximal total of material for the insufficient material draw? Here I am only asking legal positions; so adding a few white light coloured bishop to my example will not count.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-13T02:11:40.107Z
Comments.Text: This isn't really "insufficient material"; it's a "dead position". Material would be more than sufficient if there was any way to get it unstuck.
Comments.UserDisplayName: D M
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-13T02:13:15.377Z
Comments.Text: Check out https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/18699/maximum-number-of-pieces-on-board-in-dead-position - does that answer the question?
Comments.UserDisplayName: D M
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-13T02:25:01.550Z
Comments.Text: @DM, I thought "insufficient material" means checkmate is theoretically impossible?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Zuriel
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-13T02:25:59.623Z
Comments.Text: @DM, Yes, thank you for the link!
Comments.UserDisplayName: Zuriel
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-13T08:37:25.397Z
Comments.Text: The confusion exists because "insufficient material" exists in USCF rules, and "dead position" exists in FIDE rules. They are similar but different.
Comments.UserDisplayName: RemcoGerlich
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-14T20:36:35.020Z
Comments.Text: You can give each player both rooks, and still the position is dead.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Aganju
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-15T00:59:25.150Z
Comments.Text: @Aganju, if white moves his rook to b2, black can capture it and possibly win the game.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Zuriel
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-07-15T17:07:57.007Z
Comments.Text: you are right, of course. I thought about it hard, but it seems my subconscious still silently removed obviously stupid moves, so I never saw it.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Aganju
Tags: <problems><draw><records>
Title: What is the theoretical maximal total of material for the insufficient material draw?
ThreadText: # What is the theoretical maximal total of material for the insufficient material draw?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-13)
  
  The insufficient mating material rule says that the game is immediately declared a draw if there is no way to end the game in checkmate. This usually happens in KB vs K or KN vs K endgames. However, based on the definition, it is theoretically possible to have more materials while checkmating is theoretically impossible, such as the following:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/NktAL.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NktAL.png)
  
  So what is the theoretical maximal total of material for the insufficient material draw? Here I am only asking legal positions; so adding a few white light coloured bishop to my example will not count.
  
  **Tags:** problems, draw, records
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: This isn't really "insufficient material"; it's a "dead position". Material would be more than sufficient if there was any way to get it unstuck.  
  > **username_1**: Check out https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/18699/maximum-number-of-pieces-on-board-in-dead-position - does that answer the question?  
  > **username_0**: @DM, I thought "insufficient material" means checkmate is theoretically impossible?  
  > **username_0**: @DM, Yes, thank you for the link!  
  > **username_2**: The confusion exists because "insufficient material" exists in USCF rules, and "dead position" exists in FIDE rules. They are similar but different.  
  > **username_3**: You can give each player both rooks, and still the position is dead.  
  > **username_0**: @username_3, if white moves his rook to b2, black can capture it and possibly win the game.  
  > **username_3**: you are right, of course. I thought about it hard, but it seems my subconscious still silently removed obviously stupid moves, so I never saw it.  
  
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  ## 0 answers
  
  