♚ Check and Checkmate in Chess
“Check” means your king is under attack and must be made safe immediately. “Checkmate” means the king is in check and there is no legal way to escape — the game ends. Below are the three legal ways to get out of check, with classic diagrams.
✅ What Is Check?
When the king is being attacked directly by an opponent's piece, we say the king is in check. In the diagram below, the black king is checked by the white bishop:
🛡️ The 3 Ways to Get Out of Check
- 1) Move the king to a safe square (not attacked by an enemy piece).
- 2) Block the check by placing a piece between the attacker and your king (only works for sliding pieces like bishops/rooks/queens).
- 3) Capture the attacking piece (if it’s legal and your king ends up safe).
1️⃣ Move the King Away
In this diagram, the king escapes by moving away from the checking line.
2️⃣ Block the Check
Here, the black bishop blocks the check by moving between the bishop and king.
3️⃣ Capture the Attacker
In this example, the checking bishop can be captured by the black rook.
🏁 What Is Checkmate?
If the king is in check and cannot escape by any of the three methods above, it is checkmate and the game is lost.
In this diagram, the white queen delivers checkmate:
- Black cannot move the king to a safe square.
- Black cannot block the check.
- Black cannot capture the attacking piece.
❓ FAQ
What does it mean when the king is in check?
When the king is attacked directly by an opponent's piece, it is said to be in check and must be made safe immediately.
What are the ways to get out of check?
You can get out of check by moving the king to a safe square, blocking the check with another piece, or capturing the attacking piece.
What is checkmate?
Checkmate occurs when the king is in check and cannot escape, resulting in the loss of the game.
Who moves first in chess?
The player with the white pieces always moves first.
➡️ Next Steps
Now that you know check and checkmate, the next key beginner rule is castling.