Stalemate has also become a widely used metaphor for other situations where there is a conflict or contest between two parties, such as war or political negotiations, and neither side is able to achieve victory, resulting in what is also called a dead heat, standoff, or deadlock. In that usage, unlike in chess, "stalemate" often refers to a temporary impasse that is ultimately resolved.
A stalemate is a condition in which neither side can win. The term comes from the game "Chess". If an opponent cannot make any move without putting his king into check (jeopardy of being taken) but the King is currently safe, it's called a "stalemate". It's considered a tie game, and nobody won... but nobody lost either.