After the rules were standardized in the endgame stalemate is a resource that can enable the player with the inferior position to draw. In more complicated positions it usually takes the form of a swindle that succeeds only if the superior side is inattentive.
I can only remember two of my Internet blitz games ending in stalemate. In both cases it was because of time pressure blunders, one by me and one by my opponent.
If you have a won position and let an opponent off the hook by playing a move that stalemates him it's probably one of the most frustrating things in chess...even worse than losing, I think! On the other hand, if you are losing and a stalemate occurs there is a feeling of elation at having escaped in such a clever fashion.
Today's game features a stalemate that was played in a disremembered tournament of yesteryear, the 1949 Omaha, Nebraska city championship. The players were Howard Ohman and Jack Spence.
Howard Ohman (July 17, 1899 - February 25, 1968, 68 years old) was Nebraska's leading player for several decades and won the State Championship some 25 times.
Besides being a player and chess columnist, Ohman was a lawyer and clergyman. 
He was born at Omaha and his parents were both natives of Sweden.
After graduating from college he spent seven years practicing law with a couple of local law firms, the Union Pacific Railroad and in private practice.
He also served as pastor's assistant at the First Central Congregational Church in Omaha and was associated with the Chelby Colorado Camps for Boys and Girls during the summer months.
Besides chess, Ohman was interested in astronomy and even gave lectures on the subject. He was a joiner, belonging to the Y. M. C. A., the Red Cross and the Chamber of Commerce. He served as president of the Omaha Chess Club and was a member of the University Club. He also played tennis and handball.
Jack Spence (born September 20, 1926 - November 12, 1978, 52 years old) was twice Nebraska champion (1952 and 1959) and was a chess author and organizer.
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| Jack Spence |
In the 1940s and 1950s Spence was heavily involved in organization, including the 1959 US Open in Omaha. He stopped organizing and didn't play in a lot of Omaha events because of a long standing disagreement with Ohman over how the Omaha club was to run. After Ohman passed away Spence resumed his role as an organizer.
Spence was by far best known for was his publishing work. He
edited the Nebraska Chess Bulletin from 1947-1959, but more importantly, in the 1950s he put out a series of mimeographed tournament bulletins of major US events. They were virtually the
only source for the games played in those events.
As a player, Spence was an attacker that loved gambits, especially the Vienna Gambit variation that was popularized by Weaver Adams. (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5).
Here's the fight between these two rivals that ended in stalemate. It must have been very frustrating for Spence!
Howard Ohman–Jack Spence½–½D00Omaha City Championship1949Stockfish 15
Catalan 1.d4 f6 2.g3 d5 3.g2 g6
At the time this game was played this move was quite unusual. 4.d2 g7 5.c4 c6 6.e3 6.gf3 0-0 7.0-0 bd7 8.b3 e6 9.b2 b6 10.c2 b7 11.e4 dxe4 12.xe4 xe4 13.xe4 is equal. Poliak,E-Konstantinopolsky,A Dnipropetrovsk
1939 6...a5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.gf3 c6 9.0-0 g4 10.b3 d8 11.c5 b6 12.a4 c8 12...bxc5 12...Rc8 13.xc6+ One amateur annotator
of the day commented that 13.Ne5 "would be terrific." In fact, it loses! 13.e5 d7 14.xd7 xd7 15.dxc5 and a white piece has come up missing! 13...d7 14.xd5 White is better. 13.d3 13.e5 is still out of the
question. bxc5 14.xg4 xg4 15.dxc5 13...0-0 14.e1 Not bad by any
means, but 14... Qd7 was better. e4 15.d2 15.h3 would have kept black's
advantage at a minimum. xf3 16.xf3 h5 17.d1 d7 18.g2 Black has the
initiative on the K-side. 15...d7 16.b3 16.xe4 would be a bad
mistake. dxe4 17.b4 17.xe4 xd4 17...xd4 16...xd2 17.xd2 e6 18.ac1 f5 Instead of this black should have doubled Rs on the c-file with ...
Rc7, ...Qb8 and ...Rfc8 19.a3 Even better was doubling Rs on the c-file
beginning with 19.Rc2 f7 In this blocked position both players now begin
maneuvering without either side makes much progress. 20.b4 f8 21.b3 d6 22.f4 e8 23.b5 b8 24.e5 fc7 25.xc7 xc7 26.c1 xc1+ 27.xc1 c7 28.d2 d7 29.f2 f6 30.h3 e4+ 31.xe4 fxe4 32.g4 g7 33.e2 g5 Black
now begins activity in earnest on the K-side, but white's defensive resources
are sufficient that he can maintain equality. 34.f2 This allows black to
gain the edge; the N needs to stay where it is so it can hop onto e5 if
required. gxf4 35.gxf4 This is an error because it allows black to operate
on the g-file with his Q while white's remains out of play on the Q-side.
Capturing with the e-Pawn was correct; black's passed e-Pawn is easily
blockaded. h5+ Nire precise was 35...Qf7 bringing the Q into play. 35...f7 36.f1 h5 37.a4 f3 38.c2 h5 with the advantage. In Shootouts black
scored 5-0. 36.g4 Once again back has missed his best opportunity and
white can easily defend himself. g6 37.f2 g7 38.c3 White is prepaing
to place his Q entirely out of play...a regretful decision. 38.b4 remains
equal. xg4 39.hxg4 xb4 40.xb4 38...f5 39.c6 After this the game is
lost. He would have some chances of saving the game after 39.Nh2 e7 Well
played! It brings the B into action. 39...xg4 draws. 40.hxg4+ xg4 41.xd6 h3 42.xe6+ h2 43.c1 h5 44.e5 g2+ 45.e1 g1 46.xh5 f1+ 47.d2 d3+ 40.e1 xg4 41.hxg4+ xg4 42.c3 h4+ 42...f3 was even
stronger. 43.d2 f2+ 44.d1 xe3 etc. 43.d2 With white's Q and B as
bystanders black has a free hand to maneuver ob the K-side. g2+ 44.c1 g1+ 45.b2 xe3 46.c7 e2+ 47.a3 xb5 48.xh7+ g4 49.g6+ xf4 49...f3
is not as good. 50.h5+ g3 51.e1+ g2 52.xh4 However, even here black
should win after d3+ 53.b2 xd4+ 54.c2 d3+ 55.b2 d2+ 56.b1 xf4 50.h6+ Black is clearly winning. g5 But not after this! It looks logical
though. It's possible that the time control ended at move 50 and black was
short of time, so this move was rushed. Who knows? 50...g4 51.xe6+ f3 52.h3+ g3 Black's K is safe and the win is faitly routine. 51.d2+
After this blacks win has evaporated. e3 Black may have very well expected
this was the saving move or else it played it very hastily. 52.xe3+
Black probably overlooked this. xe3 53.xg5+ Now there is no way for black
to escape the draw even though he his two Ps up. No matter how the K twists
and turns it cannot avoid white's checks. xd4 53...e4 54.g2+ f5 55.f2+ g6 56.g3+ f7 57.f4+ e7 58.g5+ d7 59.d8+ An interesting
position. Black must allow the stalemate with 59...Kxd8 or lose! c6 60.e8+ winning the Q 54.e3+ c4 55.c3+ xc3 White is
stalemated. ½–½
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