What Is “Stalemate” (困毙) in Chinese Chess?
For players who have learned to play xiangqi from international chess, the rule that can lead to the biggest confusion is "stalemate. When in chess there is no legal move, but the player is not under check, the game is drawn. Chinese chess (xiangqi, 象棋): The same position equals a loss to the one who cannot move. The meaning of 困毙 (kùn bì) and how to check it on the board is explained and how it is different from checkmate (将死, jiāng sǐ). The rules outlined here are based on the World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) rules and Chinese Xiangqi Association (CSA) competition rules, both of which agree upon this.
What Is Stalemate (困毙) in Chinese Chess?
What does it mean if someone is stalemate?
Stalemate (困毙): If it is a player's turn and that player's gen does not have a check on him, and if that player does not have any legals, then he is stalemated. 困 means "trapped" and 毙 means "finished," thus the phrase is used to describe a side that is not being attacked but is "finished" or immobilized.
Most of the definition is accomplished in two parts. The first is that the player has no legal move; this is harder than having no safe move, because there are other players who may have legal moves to make. If you move, such that your own general is in check, or you move so that the other general is in check, your move is not legal and therefore not an available move. The second is that there is no attack on the general at the moment. That second condition is what is the difference between stalemate and checkmate.
Why is the other side unable to make any legal moves?
There are 16 pieces on each side on a 9×10 board, so an opening or middlegame in which they are not able to move is rare. It is invariably displayed at the end game when there are only a few pieces left on the board and the general is trapped in his palace, a 9 point square. A general will move one point orthogonally (at right angles) and can only move within the palace. The one who is in the center point of the palace can move in 4 directions, the one who is at the edge point of the palace can move in 3 directions, and the one who is at the corner point of the palace can move in 2 directions.
Each of those squares has three switches to turn it off. The friendly piece may be placed on the square. It can be attacked by an enemy piece, and would take the general into check if moved. Or the move may be illegal under the "flying general" rule (将帅对面) that prohibits the two generals from being next to each other on the same file with no piece in between. It's easy to forget the third one for beginners. There can also be a stalemate if a player still has a few pieces remaining, as blocked pieces (or pieces pinned in front of their general) are not allowed to move.
What's the connection between stalemate and being in check?
Both concepts are adjacent, but there is no overlap. Check (将军, jiāng jūn) is directly attacked by your general. Stalemate is when you are safe at the moment but you don't have anything to play. No legal moves means Checkmate not Stalemate if attacked by the general. When explaining to newcomers, I say "What is the general first? It's this answer that determines which rule is to be used.
In Xiangqi, is Stalemate a Draw?
Why isn't stalemate entitled a draw?
When a player does not have a legal move, he or she is considered to have lost the right to play, whether or not the general is attacked. The rule also is appropriate for the attacking nature of the game. Chariots and cannons are potent pieces in Xiangqi, and the palace is small, so it is regarded as a feat deserving of a victory to completely isolate the enemy general. If stalemate was a draw, a side with the obvious material superiority would be able to lose it in one solitary misjudgement, and will have been overly rewarded for having played defensively.
How does the stalemate player win the game?
The player with no move to make is eliminated and the player with the move is rewarded with a point. It is the official WXF rule and the rule used by the Chinese Xiangqi Association and is used by tournament arbiters exactly like a checkmate. It is the turn that counts here. The player who is next in line to move cannot be stalemated and the position is determined when the player is due to move.
How is this similar to a "stalemate" in international chess?
This comparison below illustrates how the same situation (a player with no legal move) is scored in each game.
| Situation | Xiangqi (Chinese chess) | International chess |
|---|---|---|
| Player to move has no legal move, king/general not in check | Stalemate (困毙): the stalemated player loses | Stalemate: draw |
| Player to move has no legal move, king/general in check | Checkmate (将死): the checkmated player loses | Checkmate: the checkmated player loses |
| Practical consequence for the stronger side | Stalemating the opponent wins the game | Stalemating the opponent throws away the win |
It's the habit that needs to be broken if you are switching between the two games. A player from chess is likely not to accept a stalemate as a result, even if it would have secured their victory in xiangqi.
What is the Difference between Stalemate and Checkmate?
Stalemate and checkmate—what do they have in common?
Both are losing positions where the side to move has no lawful move, and will terminate a game for the side to move. In either game the player is unable to proceed and the opposing player's general does not need to be taken. Many players will regard the two as interchangeable as the result will be the same. This is fine when you're scoring but when you're learning the game, it's not okay.
What is the difference with the key?
The only difference is that if the general is attacked at the time the player has no legal move, it is not counted as one of their moves. Checkmate is when the general is in check and there is no legal move to checkmate him. If there is a stalemate, the general is not in check, and neither he nor the opposing side can move in any way. Correct sorting of a position is based on a single question.
How to tell them apart by the generals?
Examine each of your own pieces, and determine if any other piece on the board can be captured on the next move. Chariots or cannons in a row or rank, a horse with clear leg or the opposing general in an open file are all attacking. If yes and there is a legal move to remove the attack, you are checkmated. If it's no and there's no legal move, then you are stalemated.
| Feature | Checkmate (将死) | Stalemate (困毙) |
|---|---|---|
| General currently attacked | Yes | No |
| Side to move has a legal move | No | No |
| Result | Side to move loses | Side to move loses |
| Typical cause | Attack cannot be parried | Pieces blocked, pinned, or squares covered |
How to Tell if a Side is Stalemated?
Look to see if the general is in check
First look for the lines to attack your general; file, rank, any Chariot or any cannon with an unobstructed screen, any horse whose leg is unobstructed, and any pawn that has crossed the river and is adjacent. Make sure the other general does not have his general across the open file. If one of these is threatened capture, you are in check; then you must play this position under checkmate rules.
Make sure that all pieces have a legal move
Once the general is safe, proceed sequentially through the remaining pieces to see if each one can move at least once in the game. A piece can be physically able to be moved but it cannot be legal to move it since it will open up your general to a new attack. A common case would be a chariot between the generals of two armies. It appears free but if you move it off the file you'll be in check. The test is one of “legality” and not “mobility.”
Eliminate actions that quell an attack
If you are in check, there are three ways out: move the general to a safe place, capture the piece that has attacked you or block the attacking piece with a friendly piece. None of the above is necessary when you're not in check, but think about it the other way around. Must establish that no piece can be moved out of your general safe. When you're not in check, the position is stalemate and when you're in check it is checkmate when none of the candidate moves pass the test. At the end of the game, go through these three escape types as a last resort to make sure that you haven't missed a capture or an interposition of some kind.
The typical examples of stalemate in Chinese chess
The following diagrams are simplified (with a simple coordinate system): files a to i, from left to right; ranks 0 to 9, from Red's side to Black's side. Red's palace is located from d0 to f2 and Black's palace is located from d7 to f9. Each is accompanied by a FEN string (the standard notation used by most xiangqi engines and apps.)
No piece can move, the general is not in check
Red: d0(generic), a8(chariot), e7(horse). Black: General e9 only, Black to play.
FEN: 4k4/R8/4N4/9/9/9/9/9/9/3K5 b - - 0 1
There are three possible moves for Black's general on e9: d9, f9, and e8. The e7 horse covers d9 and f9 as there is no piece on e8. The chariot on a8 sweeps rank 8 covering e8. The two attacks are not possible on e9, as the chariot is located on rank 8, and the Red general is not on the e-file on d0. Black cannot move, and is not in check, therefore stalemate and Black loses.
The General's check comes at you and he is not able to get out of it
Red: general d0, a9 chariot, a8 chariot. Black: General e9 only, Black to move.
FEN: R3k4/R8/9/9/9/9/9/9/9/3K5 b - - 0 1
On a9 e9 is attacked by the chariot on a9 on rank 9. Black can't capture it; Black has no piece to step off the line safely to capture it; Black can't interpose a piece because Black has none. The squares d9 and f9 will stay in place, and the general on e8 will be hit by the second chariot on a8. This is a checkmate and Black is out.
Telling the two examples apart
| Example 1 | Example 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Black general e9 attacked? | No | Yes (chariot on a9) |
| Black has a legal move? | No | No |
| Verdict | Stalemate (困毙) | Checkmate (将死) |
| Result | Black loses | Black loses |
The two positions are similar as the attackers are on one side of the board. It is dependent on the general's exposure at play time. Changing a single piece (changing a8 with a9), makes checkmate into stalemate.
Top Questions and answers on Xiangqi Stalemate.
Does a "stalemate" equal "checkmate"?
No. Both would result in the side to move losing the game but Checkmate would require the General to be attacked, Stalemate would require the General not to be attacked. Players who mix them up typically do so because no one scores more than the other.
Who wins or loses when the stalemate player?
If the stalemate player loses. This is the most common variation from international chess, when the same position becomes a draw. This rule is the same in both the WXF rules and Xiangqi Association rules (Chinese).
At what point is a single General "stalemated"?
When a lone general is not in check, and all the adjacent palace points are occupied by an enemy piece or would form a facing-generals position then it is stalemated. A center general has 4 exits as opposed to an edge general, so a center general can be given more attackers than an edge general. This frequently occurs in the endgame with the edge and corner squares of the palace.
Does the opposition have to be captured in order to end the game?
No. In formal play, game will conclude after checkmate/stalemate and the general is never captured. If a player leaves a general en prise by himself, it is considered "check" or "checkmate" if a position for a general can be taken.
Conclusion
Stalemate (困毙) in xiangqi refers to the side to move not being in check but having no legal move, and is a defeat under WXF and Chinese Xiangqi Association rules. It is not the same as checkmate, in that the general does not have to be under attack when the play is made; and it is not the same as international chess, since the same position is a draw in chess. To reliably assess any position, first look at the general, but then also check for a position that does not contain a legal move, and finally check for every potential move that would potentially clear up an attack. Seeing these two examples and you will see both patterns in no time at all, since endgames with a few chariots, a horse and a cannon are most frequently stalemated.
