When does a game of chess end? (2024)

FAQs

When does a game of chess end? ›

One of the most common ways to end a chess game is by checkmate

A game of chess ends when a player puts the opposing player's king in a position that cannot avoid capture (checkmate). A game can also be won or lost through concession. A chess match can also end in a draw. This can happen through stalemate, mutual consent, checkmate being impossible to achieve, and in other ways.

To win the game of chess, a player must capture the opponent's king. This is known as "Checkmating" the king. Whenever the king is attacked, he is in check and must be so warned by the opponent.

The average chess game spans 40 moves. Time is not so much a factor as move number, because people play at different timing formats such as bullet (1–2 minutes), blitz (10–20 minutes), and standard (20+minutes) or even daily (3+ days).

The rules allow for several types of draws: stalemate, threefold or fivefold repetition of a position, if there has been no capture or a pawn being moved in the last fifty or seventy-five moves, if checkmate is impossible, or if the players agree to a draw.

However, an arbiter can intervene and declare a game drawn if no one makes a capture or moves a pawn for 75 consecutive moves. Instead, online games automatically end with the 50-move rule. This way, players who want to make a draw don't need to worry about counting the moves.

The endgame in chess is the phase of the game that occurs after most of the pieces have been exchanged—the stage of the game that happens at the end. Not every game of chess reaches the endgame, as some games are decided in the middlegame (or even by early checkmates in the opening).

Watson agrees that "the proper result of a perfectly played chess game ... is a draw. ... Of course, I can't prove this, but I doubt that you can find a single strong player who would disagree. ... I remember Kasparov, after a last-round draw, explaining to the waiting reporters: 'Well, chess is a draw.

Checkmate. Threaten your opponent's king so it can't move to win. Putting a king in checkmate automatically ends the game, so make it your goal for the entire match. Position your pieces so they're attacking your opponent's king, which puts them in check.

If you cannot say something nice, then it would be best to say nothing. But, again, "Thanks for the game" or "Thanks for playing" hurts nothing. If they deserve the words, "Good game," then you should go ahead and share them.

What is the longest game of chess ever played? ›

The longest chess game is 269 moves between Ivan Nikolic vs. Goran Arsovic, Belgrade, 1989. The game ended in a draw. The game lasted over 20 hours.

There are roughly 40 moves in the average chess game (source here). If you use all your time in 40 moves, that's an average of ~2.5% of your time every move. If your average move time is much faster than that, you're often going to leave time - and chess skill - on the table.

Time controls for the World Championship games are 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting on move 61.

50 move-rule. The 50 move-rule allows either player to claim a draw if no capture has been made or no pawn has been moved in the last 50 moves. The longest chess game ever played could not have happened today, as it would have been declared a draw much earlier.

Seventy-five-move rule

If seventy-five moves are made without a pawn move or capture being made, the game is drawn unless the seventy-fifth move delivers a checkmate.

The endgame (or ending) is the final stage of a chess game which occurs after the middlegame.

Longest game.

The game ended in a draw after over 20 hours of play. 10 games have been 200 moves or over in tournament play. In theory, the longest chess game can go up to 5,949 moves.

A dead position happens when neither player can legally checkmate the opponent's king. If the game reaches this situation and the move that generated the position is legal, the game ends in a tie.

The endgame (or ending) is the final stage of a chess game which occurs after the middlegame. It begins when few pieces are left on the board.

If you reach a position with just two Kings left on the board you can stop play - it's a DRAW. It's NOT STALEMATE - both players could move their Kings round the board all day if they felt like it - but it IS a draw. King and Knight against King is also a draw.