Débutant
10. Check & Checkmate
Learn what check means, how to escape it, and how checkmate wins the game.
Essayer la leçon interactiveIntroduction
Check means the king is under attack. Checkmate means the king is under attack and there's no way to escape—game over! Understanding these concepts is essential.
Contenu de la leçon
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When a piece attacks the enemy king, it's called "check." The opponent must immediately deal with the check—they cannot make any other move.
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1. ..Re1+
Put the black king in check! Move the rook to e1.
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There are three ways to escape check: (1) Move the king to a safe square. (2) Block the check with another piece. (3) Capture the attacking piece.
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Checkmate occurs when the king is in check AND none of the three escape methods work. The king cannot move, nothing can block, and nothing can capture the attacker.
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3. Re8#
Deliver checkmate! Move the rook to e8. The king has no escape.
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How many ways are there to escape check?
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What is the difference between check and checkmate?
Points clés
- Check: the king is under attack and must respond immediately
- Three escapes from check: move, block, or capture
- Checkmate: the king is in check with no escape—game over
- You never actually capture the king; the game ends at checkmate
- Every chess game is a quest to deliver checkmate!
Résumé
Check attacks the king; checkmate traps it with no escape. The ultimate goal of chess is to deliver checkmate!