Chess rules
What Is Checkmate in Chess?
Checkmate is a position in which a king is attacked, or in check, and its player has no legal move that gets it out of check. The player who delivers checkmate wins the game immediately.
Examples
1. Ra8#
The rook checks along the eighth rank. Black cannot capture the rook, cannot block, and the pawns on f7, g7, and h7 take away every escape square. This is checkmate.
1. Qa8#
The queen checks from a8, covering g8. The white king on g6 covers g7 and h7, so the black king has no square to go to.
The three ways out of check
When your king is in check, you must get out of check on your move. There are only three ways: move the king to a square that is not attacked, capture the checking piece, or block the check by putting a piece between the checker and the king.
If none of these is possible, it is checkmate. A double check, where two pieces give check at once, can only be answered by a king move, because one move cannot capture or block both checkers.
What the rules say
Under the FIDE Laws of Chess, checkmate ends the game at once, as long as the move that produced it was legal. Nothing that happens afterward changes the result. For example, if a player's flag falls after the opponent has delivered checkmate on the board, the checkmate still stands.
The king is never actually captured. A move that leaves your own king in check is illegal, so the game ends with checkmate one move before the king could be taken.
How to look for checkmate
List the checks you have, then for each one ask the three questions: can the king move, can the checker be captured, and can the check be blocked. Look for kings boxed in by their own pawns or pieces, which is where most mates in real games happen.
Common questions
What is the difference between check and checkmate?
Check means the king is attacked but there is a legal way out. Checkmate means the king is attacked and there is no legal way out, which ends the game.
Is it checkmate if the king has no moves but is not in check?
No. If the side to move is not in check and has no legal move, it is stalemate, and the game is a draw.
Do you have to say checkmate?
No. The rules do not require you to announce check or checkmate. The position on the board decides the game.
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