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Check and checkmate

When your king is attacked you must save it. Learn the three ways out of check, and how to give a checkmate that ends the game.

Beginner6 min

What check means

When a piece attacks the king, the king is in check. The player in check must get out of it on the very next move: nothing else is allowed. Here White's rook gives check along the eighth rank.

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Three ways out

Your turn

You're in check. You can move the king, block with the bishop, or capture the rook. Pick the best.

Show the answer

Capturing the checking piece is often the best way out. You escaped the check and won a rook.

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Checkmate

Checkmate is a check with no way out. The king cannot move to a safe square, nothing can block, and the attacker cannot be captured. Here Black's own pawns box the king in, and the rook's check cannot be stopped. Checkmate ends the game.

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Your first checkmate

Your turn

Checkmate in one move.

Show the answer

Rook to d8 is checkmate. The pawns on f7, g7 and h7 trap their own king.

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Queen and king together

Your turn

Checkmate in one move.

Show the answer

Queen to b8 is checkmate. The queen controls the whole back rank and your king guards the escape squares.

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Quick check

Question

Your king is in check. Which of these is NOT a way out?

  • Capture one of your opponent's other pieces
  • Move the king to a safe square
  • Put a piece between the king and the attacker
  • Capture the piece giving check
Show the answer

Capture one of your opponent's other pieces

Unless that capture removes the attacker, the king is still in check. You must deal with the check itself.

More in Rules

Castling Castling moves the king and a rook in one turn, tucking the king away and bringing the rook into play. Learn how and when you may castle. En passant A special pawn capture: when an enemy pawn rushes two squares past yours, you may take it as if it had moved only one. Learn when it's allowed. Stalemate If your opponent has no legal move and is not in check, the game is a draw. Learn to avoid this trap when you are winning. Promotion A pawn that reaches the last rank turns into a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Learn how promotion works and why the queen is usually the choice. The knight The knight jumps in an L-shape and is the only piece that can leap over others. Learn its move and why it hates the corner.