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10
Chess from Zero · Kapilash Chess Academy

Checkmate!

How a game of chess is won

In this lesson you will learn

  • What checkmate means
  • The back-rank mate
  • Checkmate with queen and king

Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.

10.1 The goal of the game

Checkmate is when the king is in check and there is no way out: it cannot move, the check cannot be blocked and the attacker cannot be captured. Checkmate ends the game at once. The player who gives checkmate wins.

Back-rank mateThe rook on e8 checks the king. The king cannot step forward because its own pawns are in the way. Nothing can capture the rook or block. Checkmate!
Queen and kingThe queen on g7 gives check. The black king cannot take her, because the white king protects her. All the squares around the black king are covered. Checkmate.

10.2 Check is not checkmate

An escape squareHere the rook gives check, but the pawn has moved from g7 to g6. The king escapes to g7. Before you give check, look at every escape square.
Diagram 10.1White to move

Diagram 10.1 · Your first checkmate

Black’s king is trapped behind its own pawns.

Give checkmate in one move.

Remember

  1. Checkmate: the king is in check and has no way out.
  2. Checkmate wins the game.
  3. A king trapped behind its own pawns can be mated on the back rank.
  4. A queen next to the king, protected by another piece, is often mate.

Exercises · Lesson 10

Find the move that gives checkmate. There may be more than one: any checkmate counts.

Solve these 17 exercises on the boardCreate a free account to check your moves, open hints and solutions, and save your progress.
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Mate in one: back rank

Exercise 10.1Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.2Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.3Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.4Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.5Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Mate in one: queen and king

Exercise 10.6Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.7Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.8Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.9Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Mate in one: more pieces

Exercise 10.10Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.11Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.12Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.13Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Exercise 10.14Mate in 1
White to move

Give checkmate in one move.

Is it checkmate?

Exercise 10.15Question
Black to move

Black is to move. Is this checkmate?

Exercise 10.16Question
Black to move

Black is to move. Is this checkmate?

Exercise 10.17Question
Black to move

Black is to move. Is this checkmate?