Check and checkmate
When a piece attacks the king, the king is in check. A player in check must save the king on the next move, and may do nothing else. If there is no move that saves the king, it is checkmate, and the game is over. The player who gives checkmate has won.
The king is never captured. The game ends the moment checkmate arises, and it is against the rules to make a move that leaves your own king in check.
Three ways to get out of check
- Move the king to a square that isn't attacked.
- Capture the checking piece. With any piece. The king may capture it too, if it is unprotected.
- Put a piece in between. This only works against a queen, a rook or a bishop, and only if there is a square between them.
A check from a knight or a pawn can never be blocked. And in a double check, when two pieces give check at once, there is only one way out: the king must move.
The fastest mate: Fool's Mate
The fastest way to lose a game of chess is Fool's Mate. White makes two bad pawn moves, and Black gives checkmate on the second move.
Scholar's Mate, and how to avoid it
Scholar's Mate is the classic beginner's trap. White aims the queen and a bishop at f7, the pawn that only the king defends, and gives checkmate on the fourth move if Black isn't paying attention.
Scholar's Mate is easy to stop once you have seen it. Try it yourself: in the position below, White threatens Qxf7 mate.
The first mating patterns
With king and queen, or king and rook, you can always checkmate a lone king. The technique is to push the king to the edge and then bring your own king up in support. This is what the final positions look like:
Watch out for stalemate on the way: if your opponent's king isn't in check but has no moves, the game is a draw. You'll find more patterns, like the back-rank mate and the smothered mate, under checkmate patterns, and thousands of exercises among the chess puzzles.
How are check and checkmate written?
A plus sign after the move means check, Bb5+. Checkmate is written with a hash sign, Qxf7#. If you want to be really clear, write it out in words.
Did you know?
- The word checkmate is usually traced to the Persian shāh māt, which roughly means that the king is helpless, or defeated.
- You don't have to say check. FIDE's rules don't require it, and in tournaments players normally don't.
- Between experienced players a game rarely ends in mate on the board. The player who sees the mate coming usually resigns first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between check and checkmate?
Check means the king is attacked but can be saved. Checkmate means the king is attacked and can't be saved in any way. Then the game is over.
Do you have to say “check”?
No. FIDE's rules don't require it, and in tournaments players normally don't. At home you are welcome to say it, especially when someone is learning.
What is the fastest checkmate?
Fool's Mate: 1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4#. Black mates on the second move. White can't mate that fast: Black would first have to make two weakening pawn moves, and that can't happen before White's third move, for example 1. e4 g5 2. d4 f6 3. Qh5#.
Is the king captured in the end?
No. The game ends the moment the king is checkmated. The king is never captured.
Updated October 28, 2026
The starting position. Press ▶ or use the arrow keys.