ImpasS of the English Impasse deadlock. Situation of conflict between opposition parties, which causes a deadlock and must be settled. 2 . Position play in the game of bridge and other card games, where a figure of an opponent is "on the gallows", that is, before a lower card and another higher than his own, for example, AQ behind KJ. It is said that the K is in a position of impasses or impasse.