Dead position

A dead position is one in which neither player can ever reach checkmate, meaning an attack on the opposing king with no permitted reply. The test considers every possible sequence of legal moves, including a sequence in which both players cooperate through very poor choices.

As soon as a dead position arises, the game ends immediately as a draw. No offer or claim is required. If the dead position occurs before it is established that someone has run out of time on the chess clock, the game has already ended as a dead position.

Bare kings, king and bishop against king, and king and knight against king are common examples. The idea is not limited to counting pieces, however. A position with many pieces can also be dead when they are locked so that no legal checkmate can ever occur. Insufficient material is therefore a common cause, but not the only one.