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Chess rules · beginner

Check and Checkmate

When the king is attacked it is 'in check' and must escape at once.

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touch_appLearn it by doing: read the short explanation, then play it on the board.

Quick answer

Check means the king is attacked. You must get out of check at once: move the king, block the attack, or capture the attacking piece. Checkmate is a check that can't be escaped in any of those three ways, and it ends the game. You never capture the king; checkmate is the win.

Step by step

When a king is attacked, it is in check. The player in check must get out of check on their very next move.

There are three ways out of check: 1. Move the king to a safe square. 2. Block the attack with another piece. 3. Capture the attacking piece.

Checkmate means the king is in check and there is no way out: it can't move, block or capture. Checkmate ends the game immediately. That's the goal of chess!

Test yourself

quizAnswer on the board. It's the same drill as in the app, no account needed.

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Common mistakes

  • Ignoring a check, or making a move that leaves your king in check. Both are illegal.
  • Only looking at king moves when in check. Blocking and capturing the checker are often better.
  • Giving check just because you can. A check that achieves nothing can drive the king to safety.

Tips from the lesson

  • Follow the lines (and knight jumps) that end on the king.
  • Move, block, or capture.
  • Your king guards a7 and b7. Give check along the 8th rank.
  • The king is boxed in by its own pawns.
  • Is the king attacked? If so, can it move, block or capture?

Where you'll use this

Back-Rank Matearrow_forwardA back-rank mate is a rook or queen giving check along the last rank while the king is boxed in by its own pawns.Smothered Matearrow_forwardA smothered mate is a checkmate by a knight against a king that is completely surrounded by its own pieces.Kiss of Deatharrow_forwardThe kiss of death is a queen checkmate right next to the enemy king, with another of your pieces protecting the queen so the king can't take it.Double Checkarrow_forwardA double check is when two pieces give check at the same moment, usually through a discovered check.Decoyarrow_forwardA decoy (or attraction) is a sacrifice that lures an enemy piece, usually the king, onto a square where it can be attacked.Scholar's Matearrow_forwardScholar's mate is a four-move checkmate: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7#.Fool's Matearrow_forwardFool's mate is the fastest checkmate in chess: 1.f3 e5 2.g4?? Qh4#.

FAQ

Do you have to say 'check'?add

No. It's polite in casual games, but the rules don't require it. Online, the board shows it.

What are the three ways out of check?add

Move the king to a safe square, block the line of attack with a piece, or capture the attacking piece.

What is the difference between check and checkmate?add

In check, at least one of the three escapes works. In checkmate, none does, so the game is over.

Is stalemate the same as checkmate?add

No. Stalemate is when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move: it's a draw.