From: Jeff Mallett <jeffm <at> CRUZIO <dot> COM>
Date: 8 oct 1995
Subject: Re: King in check

>>> Having absolutely no moves is different from stalemate
>>
>>Is It? How?
>>
>In stalemate one can still move but every move puts one's king in check.
>Having absolutely no moves means that none of one's pieces can move. I
>think Adam Atkinson gave an example of that, recently.
>
>Cheers, Pieter.

Note that if you're taking your definition of "stalemate" from the world of
chess, they are identical.  In chess, stalemate simply means that "the
player cannot make any legal move" [USCF Rule I.12.C].  A move that puts
your king in check and a move that causes a piece to make a half-twist
spiral around the board while simultaneously capturing all the opponent's
pieces at once are both equally illegal, i.e. 100%.

As for whether stalemate should be a win or draw, you can pick whatever
rule you like.  In chess, tic-tac-toe, hexdame and others it's a draw.  In
International Checkers, Neutron, Shatranj, Wildebeest Chess, Focus, and
others the side having no moves loses.  In Dodgem, Three Muskateers (the
Muskateer side), a historical version of chess in old England, and others
the side having no moves wins!  In Attaxx, Othello, and other games the
side having no moves must pass his turn.

Jeff

P.S. I don't believe it's too pedantic to require that the rules for a game
should cover ALL possible positions of the game, not just the ones
reachable by reasonable play.

-----------------------------------------------------
Jeff Mallett                         jeffm <at> cruzio <dot> com
Strategy Labs, Inc.             Voice: (408) 338-6324
                                  Fax: (408) 338-6325
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