Check means the king is being attacked, and the player must get out of it on the very next move. Checkmate means the king is attacked and there is no way out, so the game is over and the attacker wins. Stalemate means the player to move is *not* in check but has no legal move at all, and the game ends in a draw.

These three words sound alike, and many children (and parents learning alongside them) mix them up. The difference decides whether you win, lose or share the point, so it is worth learning well. Let us look at each one with a board.

What is check?

A king is in check when an enemy piece could capture it on the next move. In chess the king is never actually captured. Instead, the rules say you must deal with the check straight away. You are not allowed to make any move that leaves your king in check, and you can never move your king into check either.

There are exactly three ways to get out of check. An easy way to remember them is move, block, capture.

  1. Move the king to a safe square that is not attacked.
  2. Block the attack by putting one of your pieces in between. (You cannot block a knight, because it jumps.)
  3. Capture the piece that is giving check.
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White's king on e1 is in check from the black rook on e8. Try all three escapes: move the king, block with the bishop (Be3) or knight (Ne4), or capture the rook with the knight (Nxe8). Which one is best?

Your turn: move the pieces on the board.

Tap a piece, then tap where it should go, or drag it.

All of those moves are legal, but capturing the rook with the knight is clearly the best, because you get out of check and win a whole rook at the same time. Saying "check" out loud is polite in a friendly game at home, but it is not required in tournaments.

What is checkmate?

Checkmate is check with no escape. The king is attacked, and the player cannot move, block or capture to save it. When this happens the game ends immediately and the side that gave checkmate wins. This is the goal of every chess game. The word comes from an old Persian phrase, often translated as "the king is helpless".

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Checkmate. The white rook on d8 attacks the black king along the back row. The king cannot step forward because its own pawns are in the way, nothing can block, and nothing can capture the rook. Game over: White wins.

This pattern is so common it has its own name, the back rank checkmate. Notice that the black pawns, which usually protect the king, are the very thing trapping it.

What is stalemate?

Stalemate happens when it is your turn, your king is not in check, but you have no legal move anywhere on the board. Every king move would walk into check, and you have no other pieces (or none that can move). The rules say the game ends right there as a draw. Nobody wins.

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Stalemate. It is Black's turn. The king on a8 is not in check, but a7, b7 and b8 are all covered by the white queen and king. Black has no legal move, so the game is a draw, even though White has a whole extra queen.

Stalemate is the biggest heartbreak for young players. You can be far ahead, with a queen against a lone king, and still only draw if you are careless. That is why it is so important to look at your opponent's possible moves before you make yours.

Check vs checkmate vs stalemate: side by side

  • Check: king attacked, a way out exists. The game goes on.
  • Checkmate: king attacked, no way out. The attacker wins.
  • Stalemate: king not attacked, but no legal move at all. The game is a draw.

Puzzle: checkmate, not stalemate

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White to move. Find the one queen move that gives checkmate. Careful: one tempting queen move gives stalemate instead!

White to move. Make your move on the board.

Tap a piece, then tap where it should go, or drag it.

Did you find it? The queen goes to c8 and checks along the back row, while your own king guards a7 and b7. If you had played the queen to c7 instead, Black would have no moves and no check: stalemate. To learn the whole method, read how to checkmate with a queen. Stalemate is only one of several ways a game can end level, and you can read about the others in our guide to draws in chess.

Questions parents and kids ask

Is stalemate a win or a draw?

Stalemate is always a draw. The player who was stalemated does not lose, even if they had far fewer pieces.

Can you capture the king in chess?

No. The king is never captured. When a king is attacked and cannot escape, it is checkmate and the game ends before any capture happens.

Do you have to say check in chess?

No. Saying check is a friendly habit in casual games, but the official rules do not require it. It is your own job to notice when your king is in check.

Can a king give check?

No. A king can never move next to the other king, because that would put itself in check. So kings can never attack each other directly.

What happens if I make a move that leaves my king in check?

That move is illegal. In a friendly game it is taken back and you play a legal move instead. In tournaments, illegal moves bring penalties, and repeating one can lose the game. Online, the app simply will not let you play it.