Making Use of Draws in Chess
Chess is similar to test cricket in that draws are an accepted part of the game. The main difference is that in chess, draws are reached in hours, but in test cricket, they are reached after days of play.
In both instances, the play leading to the draw is valued and enjoyed. The advantage can swing from one side to the other.
We all make mistakes, and draws in chess provide us with a way to fight back! Winning the game might no longer be an option, but at least we can avoid defeat.
Draws, especially stalemate in the endgame, can be an excellent defensive resource. Knowing you have at least a draw can give you the confidence to launch an attack even if you doubt it will win the game.
Giving your opponent a chance to make a mistake when you have a draw in hand is an excellent strategy.
World champions have retained their crown thanks to draws in chess. Who will ever forget the world championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana in 2018, where all twelve classic games ended in draws?
The King of Draws in Chess
Carl Schlechter, who the Schlechter Slav is named after, earned the title of king of draws by beating lower-rated opponents and drawing against the strongest players in the 1890s.
It wasn’t long before players at the time joked he was always ready to accept a draw, but we can learn the value of draws in his outstanding tournament results.
In Baden-bei-Wien, in 1914, he finished third with fourteen draws, four wins, and zero losses. Other players in the tournament included Rudolf Spielmann, Savielly Tartakower, and Richard Reti.
Schlechter applied his remarkable talent for draws in chess to matches as well as tournaments. All ten games in his match against Marco in 1893 ended in draws.
He drew matches against Alapin, Tarrasch, and Emmanuel Lasker.
Unfortunately for Schlechter, all these draws cast a shadow on his true strength as a chess player. Even today, many chess players would love to say they never lost a game in a strong chess tournament.
Carl Schlechter - Emanuel Lasker, 1910.01.30, ½-½, Lasker - Schlechter World Championship Match Round 7, Berlin GER.
Will Draws Be the Death of Chess?
Capablanca believed that draws would kill chess. He argued that improved defensive technique and the limited amount of strategic ideas would lead to a high percentage of draws.
He declared that the death of chess by draws was inevitable if you added a better understanding of opening theory to the above factors. Interest would decline on both the professional and amateur levels.
Capablanca was so convinced of this that he created a new chess board and pieces. In 1929 he played a four-game Capablanca chess match against Maroczy, which he unsurprisingly won three to one.
Fortunately, chess has survived and even thrived despite the increase in draws in chess.
Perhaps it was games like this that helped Capablanca form his opinion about draws in chess.
Jose Raul Capablanca - Alexander Alekhine, 1927.10.13, ½-½, Capablanca - Alekhine World Championship Match Round 13, Buenos Aires ARG
3 Ways to Draw a Chess Game
Apart from draws by agreement between the players, there are three common ways to earn a draw in chess:
- Insufficient material to deliver a checkmate.
- Stalemate – one side has no legal moves left.
- The threefold repetition of a position.
Knowing your endgames and how to deliver checkmate is vital to avoid draws in chess due to insufficient material. You will learn to avoid exchanges that leave you a single bishop or even two knights.
Yes, it is possible to deliver checkmate with two knights, but you need your opponent to make a mistake. There is no way to deliver checkmate with a king and a bishop because the bishop only covers squares of one color, and the king cannot give a check.
You can get a draw in chess with a stalemate by reaching a position where you have no legal moves. This type of draw in chess usually involves blocked pawns and a king that cannot move because your opponent controls all the available squares.
No matter which side is to move in the above position, the game ends in a draw. If Black is to move and defends the pawn with …Kh3, it is a stalemate.
Leaving the pawn unprotected allows Kxh2 and a draw because of insufficient material.
We all want to play the middlegame well and gain a material advantage, but sometimes we enter the endgame material down. You can still play for a stalemate, even if it is a significant material deficit.
Black achieves a draw in this position by forcing White to repeat the position three times. The only legal move for White is Kg1 when Black plays …Qg3+ forcing the white king back to h1.
Perpetual check is another way to achieve a draw, but the position usually repeats itself three times before you claim a draw by perpetual check.
In a tournament, before you make your move and repeat the position for a third time, you must claim the draw from the arbiter. This is one of the reasons why it is important to record your games.
Draws in Chess Can Be an Excellent Strategy
Many chess players would undoubtedly be delighted to obtain a draw against a strong grandmaster - never mind achieving one against a world champion.
Of course, it is possible to start the game knowing you are playing for a draw, but sometimes, we are outplayed and can at least earn half a point with a draw.
In order to ask yourself if a draw is possible, it is essential to accept that draws in chess are not a bad result.
However, it isn’t always the weaker player who finds himself in a challenging situation. When you are in a lost position, you can try for the draw even if there is a chance it won’t work.
Nimzowitsch, playing black, is an exchange up and has connected passed pawns on the queenside that are ready to advance. Komodo Dragon evaluates the position as winning for black (-2.78) and suggests 31.Ra1 is the best move.
This move might be your best chance against a computer, but Capablanca was playing a human. He chose 31.d5 offering the pawn on c3.
Nimzowitsch accepted the offer and played 31…Qxc3, but could have won with 31…Qd6, according to Komodo Dragon.
Drawing the game required exact calculation by Capablanca because the black c-pawn is about to promote when the draw is agreed.
Jose Raul Capablanca - Aron Nimzowitsch, 1928.08.22, ½-½, Bad Kissingen Round 10, Bad Kissingen GER
Stalemate As A Last Gasp Effort
We all reach the point where the game is lost, and to continue playing is an insult to our opponent. There are times when you can play on because you have a genuine chance of creating a stalemate.
In endgames with a rook versus a queen, stalemate is a vital defensive strategy.
Even the strongest players in the world make mistakes when it comes to the endgame. Mikhail Chigorin, a world championship challenger, chose to play 50.gxf6 in this position and resigned two moves later.
50.Kf3 Ke5 51.Kg4 Ke4 52.g6 h6 53.Kh5
Now there is no way for Black to make any progress. 53…Kxf5 is a stalemate, and White can simply move the king to g4 and back to h5.
50.Kg4 also works because White can reach the same stalemate formation.
Mikhail Chigorin - Siegbert Tarrasch, 1905.06.19, 0-1, Ostend Round 6, Ostend BEL
When you see the opportunity to create a stalemate, resist the urge to smile and do your best to look sad while making the last moves. There is always the chance your opponent will overlook the stalemate because he has a won position.
Remember, the most challenging game to win is when you have a won position.
Black has promoted the pawn with his last move (64…a1=Q) and has an overwhelming winning material advantage.
Emil Sutovsky played 65.Qe1+ and Valeri Beim blundered with 65…Qxe1 stalemate! The winning move is 65…Qf1, which blocks the check and defends the queen on a1.
Emil Davidovich Sutovsky - Valeri Ilyich Beim, 1994, ½-½, Rishon LeZion Round 4, Rishon LeZion ISR
Final Thoughts
Capablanca was seldom wrong when it came to anything related to chess, but his prediction that draws would be the death of chess was thankfully wrong. There are many draws in chess during tournaments today, yet the popularity of this beautiful game remains high.
In many cultures today, there is a belief that winning is everything, yet holding on for a draw in chess can feel as good, if not better, than some victories.
When your opponent blunders a queen, the win can feel unearned, while a hard-fought draw can get the adrenaline flowing and make you eager to play another game.
The current world champion, Magnus Carlsen, went undefeated for 125 games. Challenge yourself to make better use of draws in chess and go undefeated for 126 games.
Author: This piece was originally written by Shaun Sedice.