Which chess endings are drawn for insufficient material?
When neither side can possibly checkmate, such as king versus king or king and one bishop or knight versus king, the game is drawn at once.
If both players have too little left to ever deliver checkmate, the game is declared a draw immediately, without waiting for either player to agree.
Automatic draws
- King versus king.
- King and one bishop versus king.
- King and one knight versus king.
- King and bishop versus king and bishop, when both bishops stand on the same colour of square.
Not automatic
- Two knights against a bare king. A forced mate doesn’t exist, but a mate is still possible if the defender blunders, so play continues.
- Bishops on opposite colours. A mate can happen, so the game isn’t stopped.
- Any rook, queen or pawn. A pawn can promote, so the side keeping one is never “insufficient”.
The game also ends automatically for stalemate, threefold repetition and the fifty-move rule.
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