Friday 27 December 2013

Stalemate for the win?

Every now and then there is a proposal to award a win to a player who stalemates his opponent. Such proposals do get considered, but always rejected. One of the main reasons is simply that established end game would be upended, while another reason is the weight of history.
But history has changed in this area, as stalemate was once considered the equal of checkmate (as was 'bare king'). The shown position comes from the 9th Century and is given as White to play and win. Assuming that Stalemate wins, can you find a quick victory for White? Is there still a win for White if you had to avoid Stalemate? If you find both, which is more interesting?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Isn't there a school of thought where to get yourself stalemated should be considered a victory...?