stalemate

views updated May 23 2018

stale·mate / ˈstālˌmāt/ • n. Chess a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check. ∎  a situation in which further action or progress by opposing or competing parties seems impossible: the war had again reached stalemate.• v. [tr.] bring to or cause to reach stalemate: [as adj.] (stalemated) the currently stalemated peace talks.

stalemate

views updated Jun 08 2018

stalemate in chess, a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check. The word comes (in the mid 18th century) from obsolete stale (from Anglo-Norman French estale ‘position’, from estaler ‘be placed’), + mate.

stalemate

views updated May 17 2018

stalemate (in chess) position in which the player has no allowable move open to him, but is not in check. XVIII f. synon. †stale (XV–XVII), prob. — AN. estale position, f. estaler be placed, STALL2; see MATE2
.