Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate — Chess Foundations, Lesson 7
The three rules that decide every chess game: what check means, how checkmate ends the game, and why stalemate is a draw — with clear examples.
This is lesson 7 of ten in Chess Foundations, a free beginner course from Endgame Society. Each lesson is short, written in plain language, and built around a board you can move pieces on while you read.
The three most important concepts in chess.
Check means the king is under attack. When in check, you MUST deal with it immediately. There are three ways to escape check:
1. Move the king to a safe square 2. Block the check by placing a piece between the attacker and the king 3. Capture the attacking piece
Checkmate happens when the king is in check and NONE of these three options work. That's game over.
Stalemate is when the side to move is NOT in check but has no legal moves. This is a draw — not a win! Many games are saved (or accidentally thrown away) by stalemate.
White can play Ra8 — the rook delivers check on the 8th rank, and the black king has no escape. The pawns block g7, h7, and f7. That's checkmate!
If it's Black's turn here, it's stalemate! The black king isn't in check, but every square around it (a7, b7, b8) is controlled by the white king. The game is a draw.
Work through the lessons in order and you will finish knowing how every piece moves, how games end, and how to plan your first few moves without memorising anything.
Our courses run from the rules of the board to endgame technique. Lessons are interactive: you read a short passage, then play the position out on a real board before moving on.
Check, Checkmate & Stalemate — Chess Rules Explained | Foundations