draw death

draw death (uncountable)

1. (chess) The phenomenon of draws becoming more prevalent among professional chess players, potentially leading to a loss of popular interest in competitive chess.
   • 2002 December, Rene Chun, “Bobby Fischer’s Pathetic Endgame”, in The Atlantic‎:

     The memorization of opening theory and the intensive study of an opponent's oeuvre so dominate the modern game that when two grand masters square off, the first twenty moves unfold like a stale sitcom plot. Players often lament that "draw death" is killing the game.

   • 2021 November 26, John Gapper, “Chess faces stalemate in its match with machines”, in Financial Times‎:

     Artificial intelligence has heightened chess’s old fear of "draw death", where the game is analysed to the degree that wins disappear.