STALEMATE is validvalid

[v STALEMATED, STALEMATES, STALEMATING]

115,051 of 196,601 in NWL2023·also valid in CSW24

in chess, a situation where a player not actually in check has no possible legal move, resulting in a draw; an inglorious deadlock [n -S] / to subject to a stalemate [v STALEMATED, STALEMATING, STALEMATES]