Checkmate
Checkmate ends the game. The king is in check, and there is no legal move that gets out of check. The side that gave mate wins.
Every flight square is either occupied or attacked, the checking piece cannot be captured, and the check cannot be blocked. If any one of those is still available, it is not mate.
The king is not captured. The game stops at the check.
Stalemate looks similar on the board and is a draw, because the king is not in check. Compare the two on the stalemate page.
On the board
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move. Queen to h7 is checkmate. The queen is protected by the king on g6.
Common mistakes
- Announcing mate when the king can still capture the checking piece.
- Announcing mate when a block is legal.
- Playing on after mate. The game is over.