computer chess behavior, AI?

ive been trying to loosen up the ole noodle by playing some computer chess lately. i played as a child, and really very little as an adult.

the program im playing is interesting. it seems that if i try to play a slow thoughtfull game, it is impossible to win.

however, if i go total kamikazie (sp?), i can often win. it seems that rather than thinking, this idiot is crazy, and and knowing a proper action to take, it freaks out and goes purely defensive.

the thing that REALLY p!sses me off, is that frequently if i can get to a position of chasing the king alone with multi pieces left, it declares a stalemate when it has open flight moves left.

the question: if i do not checkmate a lone king in a certain number of moves, is that a stalemate?

OH NO!, the card says "Moops"

[bjcsc]

The stalemate results when you do not have enough pieces left to check the king in a reasonable amount of time. I don't think there are any preprogrammed number of moves. If you have almost nothing left, they could just keep moving away from you indefinitely.

[Kuan]

Stalemate due to insufficient mating material is one way. Another is stalemate by repetition. If the position on the board repeats itself three times, and not necessarily consecutively, then it's stalemate.