This is part of why so many games on a competitive level end in a draw; the player that lacks a path to victory will try to force a stalemate. Since this makes

This is part of why so many games on a competitive level end in a draw; the player that lacks a path to victory will try to force a stalemate. Since this makes it harder for the player with an early advantage to win (by constraining their moves), it is considered a feature, not a bug.