stalemate a position in any contest or dispute where no progress can be made and no winner can emerge; a deadlock Example: The staff and management had reached a stalemate over pay and conditions.
A stalemate occurs when two or more parties in contention cannot achieve dominance. Usually due to equal strength. In chess a stalemate occurs when the player to move isn�t in check, but none of his pieces can move. This is also know as a draw.