Maximum number of chess pieces remaining after a draw

[Loren Booda]

At most,

1. how many pieces may remain after a draw in chess?

2. how many "points" (pawn=1, bishop or knight=3, etc.) may remain after a draw?

 

[Janitor]

Technically, the answer to 1. is "all 32." The players may agree to a draw a few moves into the game, before any captures have been made.

Maybe you are talking specifically about a draw by stalemate? That answer would be hard to figure out!

 

[dextercioby]

Technically,the players could agree on a draw before the match itself...
A really interesting question would be
"Compute the total number of openings",knowing the rules and the fact that an opening has usually 15 moves...

Daniel.

 

[Hurkyl]

There can be a draw (by lack of moves) with all the pieces on the board.

 

[dextercioby]

1.Having the exact position of the pieces 3 times in a row is a draw.
2.Not exchanging pieces within 50 moves is still a draw.
3.Expiring time when in piece advantage is a draw.

Daniel.

 

[laserlight]

Actually, a draw occurs:
1. By agreement.
2. By stalemate.
3. When the same position, for at least the third time is about to/has just appeared.
4. When the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without the capture of any piece.
5. When a position is reached from which a checkmate cannot occur by any possible series of legal moves, even with the most unskilled play.
6. When a player would have lost on time, but the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player's king by any possible series of legal moves, even with the most unskilled counterplay.


I'd say that excluding a draw by agreement, the players can easily draw by de facto agreement from the opening setup by just moving their knights to-and-fro for a couple of moves, so all 32 pieces would remain on the board.

 

[Loren Booda]

More specifically:

At most,

1. how many pieces may remain after a stalemate in chess?

2. how many "points" (pawn=1, bishop or knight=3, etc.) may remain after a stalemate?

 

[Hurkyl]

I'll restate: a player can have no legal moves with all the pieces on the board.