What Is Checkmate in Chess
In the tenth stage, your child learns what checkmate is and how to deliver it with a queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. The stage is made up of short videos, explanations and 40 exercises on an interactive board.
What’s in this stage
- What is checkmate: simple mates with a queen and a rook — 15 exercises
- Checkmate while capturing a piece — 10 exercises
- Mate in one with any piece — 15 exercises
Total: 40 exercises
What is checkmate: simple mates with a queen and a rook
Checkmate is a check with no defense: the king can’t move away, nothing can block, and the attacking piece can’t be captured. Checkmate ends the game: the player who is checkmated loses. The simplest mates are delivered with a queen or a rook against a king pushed to the edge of the board, with the help of your own king or a second rook.
Checkmate while capturing a piece
Sometimes checkmate is delivered by capturing an opponent’s piece. This is where the pin from the previous stage comes in handy: an opponent’s piece can’t capture the attacking piece if it is itself shielding its own king.
Mate in one with any piece
Any piece can deliver checkmate, even a pawn; only the king itself can’t give check. Often the opponent’s king is boxed in by its own pieces, and then a single check is enough for mate. In the next stage: castling.