Not enough to win

Material that cannot force mate however it is arranged. Hold the draw; the point is knowing these are draws.

3 chapters

  1. One soldier on the last rank vs Bare general

    On the last rank a soldier can only move sideways, and on its own it cannot force mate.

  2. Five soldiers, all on the last rank vs Bare general

    Soldiers cannot move backward, so on the last rank five of them still cannot force mate or stalemate. Material is not the same thing as mating power.

  3. A bare cannon vs Bare general

    A cannon needs a platform to capture, so with nothing to jump it cannot mate. Adding elephants does not help; it needs an advisor, which can screen on any of the three central files.