Stalemate
Etymology
In chess, a position where the player to move is not in check yet has no legal move — scored as a draw, not a loss. The first element "stale" is of disputed origin, perhaps from Anglo-French "estale" (a fixed position) or related to "stall." It generalized to any negotiation or conflict frozen with no path forward.
noun · /STAYL-mayt/
A deadlock in which neither side can move toward victory, so the contest ends without a winner.
What it names
The specific frustration of being stuck not by defeat but by the impossibility of any useful move.
Example
The union and management reached a stalemate, each refusing to table a new offer.
Related idea
A stalemate halts play entirely, while zugzwang still forces you to move — and any move worsens your position.