Swindle

A swindle is an attempt to escape from an objectively lost position by creating a move or idea that is hard to answer. In the strict sense, best play would still win for the opponent, but a natural-looking mistake may allow a draw or even an unexpected reversal.

Outside chess, the word can suggest fraud. In chess it does not imply cheating or unsporting conduct. Every move is legal. The inferior side simply creates the most uncomfortable practical problem instead of resigning or defending passively.

Common themes

• A sudden threat against the king or an important piece.
• Perpetual check, meaning a sequence of checks that forces the position to repeat and therefore produces a draw.
• Stalemate, which occurs when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move, so the game is drawn.
• A complication that leaves the winning side only one accurate reply.

A swindle differs from a sound resource that saves the game by force. If a correct defense guarantees a draw, no opposing mistake may be needed. A strict swindle relies on practical difficulty and often succeeds when the winning player's conversion, the process of turning an advantage into a result, breaks down.