Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stalemate</a> occurs when the player whose turn it is has no legal moves, but the king is not in check. Any other pieces (including pawns) can have no legal moves - any pieces (including pawns) on the board must be either blocked or pinned to the king.</p>
  <p>In the position shown, both white pawns are blocked by black pawns. The king cannot move to the b file due to the Queen on b1. It cannot move to a3 (or b3) due to the black rook on g3. The pawn on a5 is protected by the pawn on b6 so the king cannot take it. Thus no legal moves for the king. No other white pieces are on the board; ergo stalemate. Note that this would be stalemate in standard chess; it is not because you were playing Chess 960.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: It's not true that the stalemated player's non-pawn pieces "must be pinned to the king"; like the pawns, they must be "either blocked or pinned to the king". For example, in [this famous 10-move stalemate](https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/stalemate-in-10-moves), none of Black's men are pinned except the f pawn; his queen, bishop, knight, and rooks are blocked by friendly men.
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Answers.Text: @Bof: Thanks. I couldn't initially imagine a situation where a pieced couldn't move, but wasn't pinned. Now that I think about it more, I did think of such. I've updated the answer accordingly.
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Body: <p>So recently, I participated in a Chess960 tournament because I wanted to try and improve how I strategized, because that seemed to me to be what had been killing my Chess960 rating on Lichess. However, when I was analyzing my games later, what seemed to confuse me was how  stalemate happened during the 7th game.</p>
  <p>Match: (note: begins at the beginning of the endgame) (move 17)</p>
  <p><sup><a href="https://lichess.org/tptZAHqX" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Game if you want to view the full thing</a><br>(replayer breaks at <code>5. ... O-O-O</code> if I put the full game in because castling in Chess960)</sup></p>
  <pre><code>[White &quot;CrSb0001official&quot;]
  [Black &quot;Kovzan_27&quot;]
  [Result &quot;1/2-1/2&quot;]
  [Variant &quot;Chess960&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;2krnn1r/1q1pp2p/Qp1b1pp1/p1p5/8/P3P1P1/bPPPKP1P/8 w - - 4 17&quot;]
  
  1. Qxb7+ Kxb7 2. f3 Be6 3. Kd1 f5 4. Ke1 h5 5. h3 Rh7 6. d3 Rc8 7. c3 c4 8. b3?! { (-11.23 → Mate in 9) Checkmate is now unavoidable. a4 was best. } 8... cxb3 9. Kd1?! { (-13.80 → Mate in 6) Checkmate is now unavoidable. c4 was best. } 9... b2 10. Kc2 Bxa3 11. c4 Bxc4 12. dxc4 Rxc4+ 13. Kb1 Rc3 14. f4 Rxe3 15. h4 Rxg3 16. Ka2 Rg1 17. Kxa3 b1=Q 18. Ka4 Rg3?? { (Mate in 1 → 0.00) Lost forced checkmate sequence. Qb4# was best. } { Draw by stalemate. } 1/2-1/2
  </code></pre>
  <p>My question is: Why did what happened at the end (<code>Ka4 Rg3??</code>) result in stalemate? Shouldn't that result in a victory for Black (Kovzan_27) since I pretty much couldn't move anywhere without my king being able to be taken by another piece at that point?</p>
  
Tags: <chess-variants><lichess><stalemate><chess960>
Title: Why was this recent Chess960 match of mine considered a stalemate?
ThreadText: # Why was this recent Chess960 match of mine considered a stalemate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-26)
  
  So recently, I participated in a Chess960 tournament because I wanted to try and improve how I strategized, because that seemed to me to be what had been killing my Chess960 rating on Lichess. However, when I was analyzing my games later, what seemed to confuse me was how stalemate happened during the 7th game.
  
  Match: (note: begins at the beginning of the endgame) (move 17)
  
  [Game if you want to view the full thing](https://lichess.org/tptZAHqX)  
  (replayer breaks at `5. ... O-O-O` if I put the full game in because castling in Chess960)
  
  ```
  [White "CrSb0001official"]
  [Black "Kovzan_27"]
  [Result "1/2-1/2"]
  [Variant "Chess960"]
  [FEN "2krnn1r/1q1pp2p/Qp1b1pp1/p1p5/8/P3P1P1/bPPPKP1P/8 w - - 4 17"]
  
  1. Qxb7+ Kxb7 2. f3 Be6 3. Kd1 f5 4. Ke1 h5 5. h3 Rh7 6. d3 Rc8 7. c3 c4 8. b3?! { (-11.23 → Mate in 9) Checkmate is now unavoidable. a4 was best. } 8... cxb3 9. Kd1?! { (-13.80 → Mate in 6) Checkmate is now unavoidable. c4 was best. } 9... b2 10. Kc2 Bxa3 11. c4 Bxc4 12. dxc4 Rxc4+ 13. Kb1 Rc3 14. f4 Rxe3 15. h4 Rxg3 16. Ka2 Rg1 17. Kxa3 b1=Q 18. Ka4 Rg3?? { (Mate in 1 → 0.00) Lost forced checkmate sequence. Qb4# was best. } { Draw by stalemate. } 1/2-1/2
  
  ```
  
  My question is: Why did what happened at the end (`Ka4 Rg3??`) result in stalemate? Shouldn't that result in a victory for Black (Kovzan\_27) since I pretty much couldn't move anywhere without my king being able to be taken by another piece at that point?
  
  **Tags:** chess-variants, lichess, stalemate, chess960
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-05-26. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  [Stalemate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalemate) occurs when the player whose turn it is has no legal moves, but the king is not in check. Any other pieces (including pawns) can have no legal moves - any pieces (including pawns) on the board must be either blocked or pinned to the king.
  
  In the position shown, both white pawns are blocked by black pawns. The king cannot move to the b file due to the Queen on b1. It cannot move to a3 (or b3) due to the black rook on g3. The pawn on a5 is protected by the pawn on b6 so the king cannot take it. Thus no legal moves for the king. No other white pieces are on the board; ergo stalemate. Note that this would be stalemate in standard chess; it is not because you were playing Chess 960.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: It's not true that the stalemated player's non-pawn pieces "must be pinned to the king"; like the pawns, they must be "either blocked or pinned to the king". For example, in [this famous 10-move stalemate](https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/stalemate-in-10-moves), none of Black's men are pinned except the f pawn; his queen, bishop, knight, and rooks are blocked by friendly men.  
  > **username_1**: @Bof: Thanks. I couldn't initially imagine a situation where a pieced couldn't move, but wasn't pinned. Now that I think about it more, I did think of such. I've updated the answer accordingly.  
  
  ---
  
  