Is stalemate a draw or a loss?

A draw. A player whose turn it is, who has no legal move and is not in check, is stalemated, and the game ends in a draw.

How do I avoid stalemating my opponent?

When you are winning, check before every move that the enemy king will still have a legal move, or that your move gives check.

A stalemate trick is a defensive resource: the losing side steers for a position where it has no legal move but is not in check. Stalemate is a draw.

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Black is winning, but Qb3 is the mistake. White's king on a1 is not in check and has no legal move: stalemate, a draw. Qb2 would have been checkmate.

A lost game becomes a draw if the side to move has no legal move and is not in check. The defender plays for that, and the winner must avoid it.

1When losing, count your legal moves. If only the king can move, look at its squares.
2Give away your last pieces, ideally with check, so they must be taken.
3Leave your king with no legal move and no check against it.

When you are winning, leave the enemy king a square. When you are losing, look for a stalemate.

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Questions

Is stalemate a draw or a loss?: A draw. A player whose turn it is, who has no legal move and is not in check, is stalemated, and the game ends in a draw.
How do I avoid stalemating my opponent?: When you are winning, check before every move that the enemy king will still have a legal move, or that your move gives check.