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Subject: Re: Draws in general

Author: Dave Gomboc

Date: 10:50:21 04/24/99

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On April 24, 1999 at 12:58:06, José de Jesús García Ruvalcaba wrote:

>On April 23, 1999 at 17:17:10, KarinsDad wrote:
>
>>On April 22, 1999 at 16:48:36, Craig Stevens wrote:
>>
>>[snip]
>>
>>>>
>>>>Insufficient winning material for both sides is always a draw. If one side has
>>>>insufficient winning material and his opponent's flag falls, then it is a draw,
>>>>not a win.
>>>
>>>I was told by a tournament director a couple months ago that when I had two
>>>pawns versus the other players knight and my flag fell that it was a loss, not a
>>>draw because I could somehow step into a mate because my pawns were blocking
>>>access to two squares!  If I would have known that I would have just given up
>>>the pawns!  But what if a player is low on time and the other player refuses to
>>>snatch available pawns and just plants a knight in front of a pawn and waits it
>>>out.  I guess eventually you would get a 3 fold rep, but that might take a
>>>while!  In the mean time I lose?  Is this correct?
>>
>>Yes. This is correct. Here is the FIDE rule concerning it:
>>
>>6.9. Except where Articles 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 apply, if a player does not complete
>>the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time, the game is lost by the
>>player. However, the game is drawn, if the position is such that the opponent
>>cannot checkmate the player by any possible series of legal moves ( i.e. by the
>>most unskilled counterplay).
>>
>>This means that if you played terrible and your opponent could win by
>>checkmating you, you still lose (even though a knight and king alone cannot
>>normally checkmate). If you want to force a draw quickly (i.e. you are low on
>>time), there is a better way than trying for a 3 fold rep. Just push the pawns.
>>Either he takes or you get a queen. Once it is KNK, it is automatically a draw.
>>
>
>	But the opponent can safely block one pawn and not capture it. There is no way
>to force her/him to take the blocked pawn.
>	This is what I do not like about sudden-death time controls, people trying to
>win by these absurd ways.
>
>>If it would have been KQKN as opposed to KPPKN, then there is no position on the
>>board that would result in a checkmate for the KN side, hence, it would have
>>been a draw.
>>
>>Sorry about the confusion due to my lack of being clear on the rule.
>>
>>KarinsDad :)

If the person has no losing chances, they could ask the arbiter to award them a
draw.  For instance, White: Ke5, Ph4  Black: Kg6, Nh5.  White could say to the
arbiter that they will not move the king onto the h-file (where it might get
mated!), they will just walk around in the open area of the board, and push the
h-pawn if it left unguarded and they are not in check, and claim a draw.  Of
course, the claim must be made before White's time runs out.

Dave



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