Checkmate and stalemate
In short
Checkmate means the king is in check and none of the three escapes works. The game ends at once and the attacker wins.
By the end you can
- Tell checkmate from stalemate
- Find mate in one
- Avoid stalemating when winning
The lesson
Checkmate means the king is in check and none of the three escapes works. The game ends at once and the attacker wins. Checkmate — not capturing pieces — is the goal of chess.
Stalemate is different: the player to move is NOT in check but has no legal move. The game is then a draw, even if the other side has a huge material advantage. Many beginners throw away won games this way, especially with a queen against a lone king.
When you are far ahead, always ask after your planned move: “Will my opponent still have a legal move?” If the answer is no and they are not in check, choose a different move.
Key points to remember
- Mate = check with no escape
- Stalemate = no legal move but not in check → draw
- Before your move, check the opponent still has a move
Examples
Show the solution
21. Qxh7#
Show the moves
1. Qg6
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: mate in 1 puzzles.
Homework
Solve 10 mate-in-one puzzles. Explain to a parent what stalemate is.
Free further reading
- Checkmates for Three Pieces, William Brett Fishburne (2003, public domain)
More checkmates lessons
- First mating patterns (Foundation)
- Mate with king and queen (Novice)
- Mate with king and rook (Novice)
- Ladder mate and classic patterns (Novice)
- Mate in two (Class F)
- Mating attacks in three moves (Class E)