A draw means the game ends without a winner. Both players get half a point, and in results tables it is written ½–½. The table sums up the ways to get there under FIDE's Laws of Chess, the international rules. Some national federations have rulebooks of their own, with small differences.
| Way | What it takes | How the draw comes about |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement | Both players agree, and both have made at least one move. | At once |
| Stalemate | The player to move has no legal move and is not in check. | At once |
| Dead position | Neither player can checkmate, however the game goes on. | At once |
| Threefold repetition | The same position for the third time. | The player to move must claim it |
| The 50-move rule | 50 moves each with no pawn move and no capture. | The player to move must claim it |
| Fivefold repetition | The same position for the fifth time. | Automatically, the arbiter declares a draw |
| The 75-move rule | 75 moves each with no pawn move and no capture. | Automatically, unless the last move was checkmate |
| Time runs out | One player's time runs out, but the opponent can't checkmate in any way. | At once |
Agreement
The most common way. A player who wants to offer a draw does so after making their move and before pressing the clock. The opponent can accept, decline, or simply make a move, which also counts as declining. The draw only counts if both have made at least one move. Some tournaments have rules of their own that limit early draws.
Stalemate
If the player to move has no legal move and is not in check, the game is over: a draw. It has its own page: stalemate.
Dead position: too little material
If neither player can checkmate, even if the opponent plays as badly as possible, the position is called dead, and the game is drawn at once. This applies, for example, to king against king, king and bishop against king, king and knight against king, and king and bishop against king and bishop when the bishops move on the same color.
Mind the difference between not being able to checkmate and not being able to force checkmate. With king and two knights against king, mate can't be forced, but it is possible if the defender helps. So it isn't a dead position, and the game doesn't end by itself.
Threefold repetition
If the same position occurs for the third time, the player to move may claim a draw. The positions don't have to come one right after another. But they only count as the same if
- the same player is to move,
- the same pieces stand on the same squares, and
- both players have the same possible moves. A lost right to castle, or a chance to capture en passant that has disappeared, means the positions don't count as the same.
Over the board it doesn't happen automatically. The player to move claims the draw from the arbiter, either when the position has just occurred for the third time, or by first writing down the move that creates it and then claiming. Online, the program usually takes care of it.
The classic example is perpetual check: one side gives check after check, and the king can't hide. Here White saves a lost game that way.
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The 50-move rule
If both players have made 50 moves each without any pawn moving and without any capture, the player to move may claim a draw. The rule is there so that a game can't go on forever when nobody is getting anywhere. Every pawn move and every capture resets the count.
Fivefold repetition and the 75-move rule
If nobody claims a draw, the game goes on. But there is a limit. If the same position has occurred five times, or if both players have made 75 moves each without a pawn move or a capture, the game is drawn without anyone having to claim it. The arbiter must then declare a draw. If the last of the 75 moves was checkmate, the checkmate stands.
When time runs out
In games with a chess clock, the player whose time runs out loses. With one exception: if the opponent can't checkmate by any possible series of legal moves, it is a draw instead. So if the opponent has only the king left, it is a draw. But it is enough that a mate is possible, however unlikely, for the player who still has time to win.
Did you know?
- A draw is written ½–½ in results tables, and on a scoresheet a draw offer is marked with the symbol (=).
- A claim of a draw by repetition or by the 50-move rule also counts as a draw offer. So the opponent can accept it right away.
- Stalemate and a dead position end the game at once, but threefold repetition doesn't. Someone has to claim it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a draw in chess?
A draw is a game that ends without a winner. Both players get half a point.
Is it a draw automatically after three repetitions?
Not under FIDE's rules over the board. With threefold repetition the player to move must claim the draw. Only when the same position has occurred five times must the arbiter declare a draw without anyone claiming it. Online, the program often takes care of it for you.
What is the 50-move rule?
If both players have made 50 moves each without any pawn moving and without any capture, the player to move may claim a draw. After 75 moves each it is a draw automatically, unless the last move was checkmate.
Is king and two knights against king a draw?
You can't force checkmate with two knights, but a mate is possible if the defender goes wrong. So the game doesn't end automatically, but in practice it is almost always a draw.
When may you offer a draw?
Under FIDE's rules, after you have made your move and before you press the clock. Both players must have made at least one move.
Updated October 28, 2026