Stalemate is a draw that happens when the player to move has no legal moves but their king is not in check. Because the king is not under attack yet cannot move without stepping into check, and no other piece can move either, the game ends in a tie rather than a loss. Stalemate is a common way for a losing side to save half a point, so when you are winning with lots of material, always leave the enemy king a legal move until you are ready to checkmate. Careless queen play near a lone king often causes accidental stalemates.