Check and Checkmate
As you might already know, a check is an attack on the enemy king. When a piece moves to attack an enemy king, it is said to be put in check.
There are three ways you can potentially get out of check. Those are:
1) Moving the King out of the enemy’s attack.
2) Using another piece to block the check.
3) Taking the checking piece.
Since the king is invaluable – the goal of the game is to checkmate the king – getting out of check overrides all else. When you are put in check, you MUST do either one of these three. If you cannot, you are checkmated, and the game is lost.
Let’s look at some examples.
This is the current position. White has just put Black in check: Can Black get out of check, and if so, how many ways?
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Answer: Black can get out of check in two different ways.
1) He can move the king to g7 on the next move.
2) He can also capture the rook with the bishop. Since white accidentally put the rook in a position where the bishop was attacking, this is possible. Out of the two options black has to get out of check, this is clearly the best, as black eliminates white’s rook and gains an advantage in force.
Let’s take a look at another example.
White has just put his rook on e8+, giving check to Black. It’s Black’s move: can he get out of check?
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Answer: Black can get out of check. However, there’s only one way!
1) He can block the check.
Notice the bishop on a3: by moving down its diagonal to f8 on the next turn, the bishop blocks. the check. Note that Bf8 is also a forced move: this is the only way to get out of check. Always pay attention to the resources your position offers!
Here’s what the position looks like after Bf8:
By deflecting the check, Black survives.
Now, let’s take a look at our final example.
In the position, white has just moved his rook to e8 (again), delivering check. Does Black have a way to get out of check?
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Answer: Black cannot get out of check – therefore he is in checkmate! Let’s verify whether this is true or not.
1) Can Black move his king out of the way?
No. He would love to move his king to h7, but the problem is that his bishop is there. Black cannot miraculously move his bishop and king in the same turn, so he cannot move his king out of the way.
2) Can he use another piece to block the check?
No. The bishop on h7 cannot move in between the king and the rook. Black has no other available pieces to ca
3) Can he capture the checking piece?
No. There are no other pieces
Now that we know Black cannot use any 3 methods to get out of check, we also know that he is now in checkmate, and therefore he has lost the game.
Phew! That was a lot. Feel free to take a break, and think about this important concept before continuing. If there are any parts you don’t understand, review the examples and rules, and try to come up with your own.
