checkmate

Everyday

1. In chess, checkmate is when a king is attacked and cannot escape, so the game ends and that player loses. tree →
2. To checkmate someone is to win a chess game by trapping their king. tree →
3. Checkmate can mean a situation where someone is completely beaten or stuck. tree →

In the lessons

In chess club and games at home, a player says «Checkmate!» when they win. «Check» means the king is attacked but can still escape; «checkmate» means it cannot. In stories it can mean a final defeat in any contest or plan. Phrases: «in checkmate», «say checkmate», «checkmate in two moves».

Examples

• She moved her queen and said, «Checkmate!» tree →
• My king was in check, but not in checkmate. tree →
• Can you find checkmate in two moves? tree →
• He checkmated me with just a rook and a king. tree →
• The game ended in checkmate after twenty moves. tree →
• Grandpa taught me how to checkmate with two rooks. tree →
• The detective's clever plan was checkmate for the thief. tree →
• It is not checkmate if the king can move to a safe square. tree →

Note

Written as one word. «Check» ≠ «checkmate»: in check you must get out of danger; checkmate ends the game. Stalemate is different: the player cannot move but is not in check, and the game is a draw. In UK English «check» in chess is still spelt «check», not «cheque».