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Check and checkmate

Lesson 10 of 20 Age 6+ Time 15 minutes Before this what each piece is worth

In short

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 means the king is in check and there is no way out. Checkmate ends the game: the player who gives it wins.

  • Three ways out of check: move, block, capture.
  • The king is never captured. The game ends at checkmate.
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Check: the rook attacks the king.
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Checkmate: the black king is attacked and has no way out.

Teach it

  1. DoPut a white king on e1 and a black rook on e8.
  2. Say“When a king is attacked, it is check. You must fix it right away.”
  3. Ask“How can the king get out of check?”
  4. Child“Step to the side, to d1 or f1.”
  5. Say“There are three ways: move the king, block the line, or capture the attacker.”
  6. DoSet up the second board: black king g8, black pawns f7, g7, h7, white rook e8.
  7. Ask“Can the black king escape?”
  8. Child“No. That's checkmate!”
Hand the screen to your child

Your turn!

White to move. Find checkmate in one move.

Three quick questions

  1. Your king is in check. What must you do?

  2. Which is NOT a way out of check?

  3. What happens at checkmate?

Practice sheet: Check or checkmate?

One page, free to print, no sign-in. The answers print on the next page.

Check or checkmate?Name ____________________
  1. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Is White in check? How can the king get out?

  2. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Is this check or checkmate?

  3. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    White to move. Find checkmate in one.

  4. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Is the black king checkmated?

Answers: Check or checkmate?

  1. Yes. Step to d1, d2, f1 or f2.
  2. Checkmate.
  3. Rook a8.
  4. Yes. The queen is protected by the white king.

Questions parents ask

Do you have to say check?

No. The rules don't ask you to say it. Many children like to, and it helps a beginner notice the check.

Can the king be captured?

No. The game ends at checkmate, before the king is ever taken.

What is the difference between check and checkmate?

In check, the king is attacked but can get out. In checkmate, he is attacked and has no way out, so the game is over.

Rules checked against FIDE Laws of Chess, taking effect from 1 January 2023 (Articles 3.9 and 5.1) on . Found something to fix? Tell us on the contact page.