Check, checkmate and stalemate

Step 1 of 8

Look first

The game has only just begun. With its third move, White attacks the black king.

You see the board from Black’s side. The black king is in check. Tap the white piece that is attacking it.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

12345678

hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square h1, white rookg1, emptyf1, emptye1, white kingd1, white queenc1, white bishopb1, white knighta1, white rookh2, white pawng2, white pawnf2, white pawne2, emptyd2, white pawnc2, white pawnb2, white pawna2, white pawnh3, emptyg3, emptyf3, white knighte3, emptyd3, emptyc3, emptyb3, emptya3, emptyh4, emptyg4, emptyf4, emptye4, white pawnd4, emptyc4, emptyb4, emptya4, emptyh5, emptyg5, emptyf5, emptye5, black pawnd5, emptyc5, emptyb5, white bishopa5, emptyh6, emptyg6, emptyf6, emptye6, emptyd6, black pawnc6, emptyb6, emptya6, emptyh7, black pawng7, black pawnf7, black pawne7, emptyd7, emptyc7, black pawnb7, black pawna7, black pawnh8, black rookg8, black knightf8, black bishope8, black kingd8, black queenc8, black bishopb8, black knighta8, black rook Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King e1
• Queen d1
• Rook a1
• Rook h1
• Bishop b5
• Bishop c1
• Knight b1
• Knight f3
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn d2
• Pawn e4
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King e8
• Queen d8
• Rook a8
• Rook h8
• Bishop c8
• Bishop f8
• Knight b8
• Knight g8
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c7
• Pawn d6
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 8

Decide

If you are in check, you must get out of check at once. One rule always applies: after your move, your king must not be in check.

You are playing Black. The white rook is giving check. How can you get out of check?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

12345678

hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Rook e8
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Bishop b4
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Which way out?

Move the king away Capture the rook Put a piece in between

Step 3 of 8

Without the bishop

The same position, but now the black bishop is missing.

You see the board from Black’s side again. Is this check, checkmate or stalemate?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

12345678

hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Rook e8
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

What is it?

Check Checkmate Stalemate

Step 4 of 8

Checkmate or stalemate?

If a king in check can no longer escape, it is checkmated. Here the black king is in the corner, and the white pieces are very close to it.

You see the board from Black’s side. Black to move. Is this check, checkmate or stalemate?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

12345678

hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King b6
• Queen c7

Black

• King a8

What is it?

Check Checkmate Stalemate

Step 5 of 8

Try it

White to move. Checkmate Black in one move, and be careful not to give stalemate.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Qc8# – queen from d7 to c8Qd8# – queen from d7 to d8Qe8# – queen from d7 to e8Qe7 – queen from d7 to e7Qf7 – queen from d7 to f7Qg7 – queen from d7 to g7Qh7 – queen from d7 to h7Qe6 – queen from d7 to e6Qf5 – queen from d7 to f5Qg4 – queen from d7 to g4Qh3 – queen from d7 to h3Qd6 – queen from d7 to d6Qd5+ – queen from d7 to d5Qd4 – queen from d7 to d4Qd3 – queen from d7 to d3Qd2 – queen from d7 to d2Qd1 – queen from d7 to d1Qc6+ – queen from d7 to c6Qb5 – queen from d7 to b5Qa4+ – queen from d7 to a4Qc7 – queen from d7 to c7Qb7# – queen from d7 to b7Qa7# – queen from d7 to a7Kc7 – king from b6 to c7Kc6 – king from b6 to c6Kc5 – king from b6 to c5Kb5 – king from b6 to b5Ka5 – king from b6 to a5Ka6 – king from b6 to a6 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King b6
• Queen d7

Black

• King a8

Step 6 of 8

What check, checkmate and stalemate mean

If an enemy piece attacks the king, the king is in check. With your next move you must get out of check: the king moves away, the attacking piece is captured, or a piece moves in between. Not all three ways are always possible.

A move is only allowed if your own king is not in check afterwards. That is why a king never moves to a square where an enemy piece would attack it.

If there is no way out of check, the king is checkmated. Then the game is over, and whoever gives checkmate wins.

Stalemate is something different: the side to move is not in check but has no legal move, and the game ends in a draw. If the queen goes to d8, the king is in check and cannot get away: checkmate. If it goes to c7, the king is not in check and still cannot move: stalemate.

Step 7 of 8

New position, same idea

This time a rook gives checkmate, and its king helps.

You are playing Black. Checkmate the white king in one move, and be careful not to give stalemate.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

12345678

hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Rc8 – rook from b8 to c8Rd8 – rook from b8 to d8Re8 – rook from b8 to e8Rf8 – rook from b8 to f8Rg8 – rook from b8 to g8Rh8 – rook from b8 to h8Rb7 – rook from b8 to b7Rb6 – rook from b8 to b6Rb5 – rook from b8 to b5Rb4 – rook from b8 to b4Rb3 – rook from b8 to b3Rb2 – rook from b8 to b2Rb1# – rook from b8 to b1Ra8 – rook from b8 to a8Kg4 – king from h3 to g4Kh4 – king from h3 to h4Kg3 – king from h3 to g3 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King h1

Black

• King h3
• Rook b8

Step 8 of 8

What you take away

Now you know check, checkmate and stalemate. In the next lesson you will learn three special rules: castling, promotion and en passant.