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I’m a new player. Why was this a draw?

What was the move instead?

[FEN ""]
[StartPly "90"]
[Title "From White's Perspective"]

1. a4 e5 2. a5 Nc6 3. Na3 d5 4. a6 bxa6 5. h4 Nf6 6. Nc4 dxc4 7. Rxa6 Ne7 8. Rxf6 gxf6 9. g4 Ng6 10. Nf3 Bxg4 11. Nxe5 fxe5 12. h5 Ne7 13. Rg1 Bxh5 14. b3 cxb3 15. cxb3 Nc6 16. Rg6 fxg6 17. b4 Rb8 18. f4 Rxb4 19. Bh3 exf4 20. Bc8 Qxc8 21. d4 Qd8 22. Kf1 g5 23. Bxf4 gxf4 24. Ke1 h6 25. d5 Ne7 26. d6 cxd6 27. Qxd6 Qxd6 28. Kf1 Rb1+ 29. Kg2 Qg6+ 30. Kh2 Bxe2 31. Kh3 Qh5+ 32. Kg2 Re1 33. Kf2 Bg4 34. Kg2 Nd5 35. Kf2 Nc3 36. Kxe1 Ke7 37. Kf1 Ke6 38. Kg1 Ke5 39. Kf1 Ke4 40. Kg1 Ke3 41. Kf1 Kd2 42. Kg1 Bc5+ 43. Kg2 Be3 44. Kf1 Rb8 45. Kg2 Rb1  {1/2-1/2}
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  • 2
    In the chess problem world, this is called a "mirror stalemate", as the stalemated king is surrounded by 8 empty squares. Pretty!
    – Laska
    Commented Jul 5 at 2:46
  • 1
    As a new player I definitely recommend doing puzzles, especially mate in 1 and mate in 2.
    – infinitezero
    Commented Jul 5 at 9:15
  • 1
    As a new player, one tends to expect the game to play just like a game of capture the king, but for some reason ending on the turn before the king is captured (and including a prohibition on making any move that would allow your king to be taken on the next move). But modern chess differs from that ideal by also including a rule that makes it a draw when the king would be captured on the next turn but is not directly threatened on this turn.
    – L. Scott Johnson
    Commented Jul 5 at 12:05

1 Answer 1

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9

This is a draw as the White King is stalemated.

After 45...Rb1??, the White King has no legal moves but is not in check.

Since White's King cannot move into check, the King cannot move to the...

  • h1, h2, or h3-squares due to the Black Queen,
  • f1 or g1-squares due to the Black Rook,
  • f2 or g1-squares due to the Black dark-squared Bishop,
  • f3 or h3-squares due to the Black light-squared Bishop, or
  • g3-square due to the Black pawn.

When a game ends in a stalemate, the game is a draw regardless of the material still possessed by each player.

IM Daniel Rensch explains it on video in What is Stalemate in Chess?.

Related:
Why was this a draw? What move I supposed to play to win?
Why is this position stalemate?
Why was this stalemate?
Why is stalemate a draw?

How to Win Instead?

[Title "From White's Perspective After 45. Kg2"]
[FEN "1r6/p7/7p/7q/5pb1/4b3/3k2K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[StartFlipped "0"]

1... Qh3# (1... Bf3+ 2. Kf1 Qh3# (2... Rb1#))
``` 
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