The rule
A player may claim a draw if in the last 50 moves (50 moves by White and 50 by Black) there has been:
- no capture;
- no pawn move.
The count restarts after every capture or pawn move. If 75 moves have passed without captures or pawn moves, the arbiter declares a draw on their own, even if nobody claims it.
Why the rule exists
Without it a game could last forever: the stronger side could shuffle pieces around the board without knowing how to deliver mate. The 50-move rule demands real progress.
In practice it matters in endgames where one side has extra material but the win is not easy. For example, rook against bishop is usually a draw: the weaker side defends until the 50 moves run out.
What it looks like in a game
A draw must be claimed from the arbiter. The player writes their next move on the scoresheet (without playing it on the board) and declares that after it 50 moves will have passed without captures or pawn moves. The arbiter checks the score.
In games with a clock but without recording (for example, blitz) the arbiter usually keeps count.
What beginners should know
The 50-move rule is one more reason to learn to mate with a queen and with a rook quickly and confidently. These mates take far fewer than 50 moves — see the articles “Mate with the queen” and “Mate with the rook”.
Mate with knight and bishop is the exception: it takes up to 33 moves of precise play, and the 50-move rule can easily get in the way. See the article “Mate with knight and bishop”.