What is checkmate in chess?
Checkmate is a check with no way out: the king cannot move to a safe square, the check cannot be blocked, and the checking piece cannot be taken. It ends the game, and the side that gave it wins.
The king is never actually captured; checkmate ends the game the move before.
Most early checkmates happen with the enemy king stuck on the edge of the board, where it has fewer squares to run to.
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Checkmate in one: check the king so it has no way out.
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