Answers.Body: <p><strong>Stalemate</strong> is defined as the player's whose turn it is to not be in check, &amp; cannot make a legal move (black's only piece, the king, can only move to squares where it will be in check, which is illegal). </p>
  
  <p>By playing <strong><code>Rb6</code></strong> (or possibly <strong><code>Rxb6</code></strong>), your friend walked into that exact situation. Essentially, she blocked off all the squares the King could move to, which is stalemate (&amp; the result is a draw). It might have been a mistake, or it could have been the best move given the situation.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Additional discussion beyond the original question</strong></p>
  
  <p>If there was a black queen on b6, your friend capturing (<strong><code>Rxb6</code></strong>) was the best move, because they would have to get out of check. They can capture with the queen, the rook, or the pawn, but all three lead to stalemate (a draw is all they can hope for here). If they try to move the king out of check, black takes their queen and has a tiny advantage going into the endgame.</p>
  
  <p>Interestingly, if there was a black bishop on b6 threatening the king, the best move would be to move the king and give up the queen. A rook plus several pawns will eventually overpower a lone bishop in the endgame.</p>
  
  <p>If your friend captured anything other than a queen or bishop on b6, that was a blunder that forced stalemate from a winning position. </p>
  
  <p>If there was no black piece on b6, your friend also had the game basically won. They could have finished it with:</p>
  
  <p><strong><code>1.Rb8#</code></strong> (Rook moves to the dark square up and to the left of the Queen, and checkmate) </p>
  
  <p>Another option: </p>
  
  <p><strong><code>1.Qb8#</code></strong> (Queen moves to the same square, and checkmate) among other moves. </p>
  
  <p>The last two cases are perfect examples of how chess can punish or reward you in one move; you can be totally winning and then end up with what is essentially a tie because you messed up.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T02:49:27.787Z
Answers.Text: Strange answer. There are two possibilities here. 1) It's white turn to move : then it's not stalemate, and white can mate with Rb8 or Qb8 2) It's black turn, then it's stalemate. This answer assumes 2) , but it does not make that clear, and, further, under that assumption it makes little sense to say that he "could have finished it... " because you don't know which was previous White move. It might be that there was a Black Queen in c7 which the white just captured, for example.
Answers.UserDisplayName: leonbloy
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T17:03:10.110Z
Answers.Text: You do not know White's previous move. For all we know the queen could have been on c5 capturing a piece on c7.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T17:03:33.470Z
Answers.Text: @leonbloy: You are a wizard.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T19:37:05.693Z
Answers.Text: @JossieCalderon: When this answer was posted, the question had a screenshot showing white's last move, Rb4b6. It was later replaced by a FEN which unfortunately doesn't have that information. Look at the edit history.
Answers.UserDisplayName: itub
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T19:43:29.583Z
Answers.Text: @leonbloy: the original version of the question had a screenshot showing White's last move, Rb4b6.
Answers.UserDisplayName: itub
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T20:12:45.007Z
Answers.Text: @itub THen it would be nice to add that info to the question.
Answers.UserDisplayName: leonbloy
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T20:17:23.237Z
Answers.Text: @leonbloy, good point. I edited the diagram to show the last move. I hope it's clearer...
Answers.UserDisplayName: itub
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-20T23:19:18.573Z
Answers.Text: @RickyDemer, you are right! I missed that possibility, which actually is quite plausible.
Answers.UserDisplayName: itub
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-20T23:21:49.693Z
Answers.Text: Good point. If there was a black queen or bishop on b6, before the white rook is moved, it would be a more complex (cause white is in check). My feeling is white would still be completely winning with a rook + pawns vs. a bishop, but you are correct that a queen on b6 makes things unclear. I'll edit my answer later to include that possibility.
Answers.UserDisplayName: desertdogv
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-15T20:21:30.583Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-03-21T09:58:58.947Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2018-03-21T09:58:58.947Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: desertdogv
Answers.Body: <p>Stalemate is a checkmate without check. The king is not being attacked but it cannot go anywhere. It is a draw.</p>
  
  <p>If Black had other pieces (or pawns), he may move them - passing the move to you - and then checkmate is surely imminent by 1. Qb7#. If all of Black's pieces cannot move anywhere, the game is a draw.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T16:59:16.510Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-03-17T16:59:16.510Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jossie Calderon
Answers.Body: <p>Well, Black's king only has the squares a7, b7, and b8 available to it. Since the queen is guarding all three squares and black doesn't have any other pieces, it's stalemate. </p>
  
  <p>If you don't know what stalemate means, either read desertdogv's comment or go to here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T17:33:33.913Z
Answers.Text: This is not an answer
Answers.UserDisplayName: ericw31415
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-17T01:05:23.107Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-03-17T01:05:23.107Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Ni
Body: <p>My friend played this game as white and wants to know how this is a stalemate. I do not know much about chess and both of us would like to know more about this rule. </p>
  
  <pre><code>k7/2Q5/8/P2P4/1R6/8/2P3PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
  
  1.Rb6 1/2-1/2
  </code></pre>
  
Tags: <endgame><beginner><stalemate>
Title: How is this stalemate?
ThreadText: # How is this stalemate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-15)
  
  My friend played this game as white and wants to know how this is a stalemate. I do not know much about chess and both of us would like to know more about this rule.
  
  ```
  k7/2Q5/8/P2P4/1R6/8/2P3PP/6K1 w - - 0 1
  
  1.Rb6 1/2-1/2
  
  ```
  
  **Tags:** endgame, beginner, stalemate
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-15. Score: 11
  
  **Stalemate** is defined as the player's whose turn it is to not be in check, & cannot make a legal move (black's only piece, the king, can only move to squares where it will be in check, which is illegal).
  
  By playing **`Rb6`** (or possibly **`Rxb6`**), your friend walked into that exact situation. Essentially, she blocked off all the squares the King could move to, which is stalemate (& the result is a draw). It might have been a mistake, or it could have been the best move given the situation.
  
  **Additional discussion beyond the original question**
  
  If there was a black queen on b6, your friend capturing (**`Rxb6`**) was the best move, because they would have to get out of check. They can capture with the queen, the rook, or the pawn, but all three lead to stalemate (a draw is all they can hope for here). If they try to move the king out of check, black takes their queen and has a tiny advantage going into the endgame.
  
  Interestingly, if there was a black bishop on b6 threatening the king, the best move would be to move the king and give up the queen. A rook plus several pawns will eventually overpower a lone bishop in the endgame.
  
  If your friend captured anything other than a queen or bishop on b6, that was a blunder that forced stalemate from a winning position.
  
  If there was no black piece on b6, your friend also had the game basically won. They could have finished it with:
  
  **`1.Rb8#`** (Rook moves to the dark square up and to the left of the Queen, and checkmate)
  
  Another option:
  
  **`1.Qb8#`** (Queen moves to the same square, and checkmate) among other moves.
  
  The last two cases are perfect examples of how chess can punish or reward you in one move; you can be totally winning and then end up with what is essentially a tie because you messed up.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Strange answer. There are two possibilities here. 1) It's white turn to move : then it's not stalemate, and white can mate with Rb8 or Qb8 2) It's black turn, then it's stalemate. This answer assumes 2) , but it does not make that clear, and, further, under that assumption it makes little sense to say that he "could have finished it... " because you don't know which was previous White move. It might be that there was a Black Queen in c7 which the white just captured, for example.  
  > **username_3**: You do not know White's previous move. For all we know the queen could have been on c5 capturing a piece on c7.  
  > **username_3**: @username_2: You are a wizard.  
  > **username_4**: @username_3: When this answer was posted, the question had a screenshot showing white's last move, Rb4b6. It was later replaced by a FEN which unfortunately doesn't have that information. Look at the edit history.  
  > **username_4**: @username_2: the original version of the question had a screenshot showing White's last move, Rb4b6.  
  > **username_2**: @username_4 THen it would be nice to add that info to the question.  
  > **username_4**: @username_2, good point. I edited the diagram to show the last move. I hope it's clearer...  
  > **username_4**: @RickyDemer, you are right! I missed that possibility, which actually is quite plausible.  
  > **username_1**: Good point. If there was a black queen or bishop on b6, before the white rook is moved, it would be a more complex (cause white is in check). My feeling is white would still be completely winning with a rook + pawns vs. a bishop, but you are correct that a queen on b6 makes things unclear. I'll edit my answer later to include that possibility.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-17. Score: 1
  
  Stalemate is a checkmate without check. The king is not being attacked but it cannot go anywhere. It is a draw.
  
  If Black had other pieces (or pawns), he may move them - passing the move to you - and then checkmate is surely imminent by 1. Qb7#. If all of Black's pieces cannot move anywhere, the game is a draw.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2018-03-17. Score: -2
  
  Well, Black's king only has the squares a7, b7, and b8 available to it. Since the queen is guarding all three squares and black doesn't have any other pieces, it's stalemate.
  
  If you don't know what stalemate means, either read username_1's comment or go to here: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate>
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: This is not an answer  
  
  ---
  
  