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Beginner lesson 4/20
Checkmate and stalemate
Learn how a game ends by mate or a draw by stalemate.
Learn this chess concept step by step, then practise it on the interactive ChessRivo board.
Open interactive lessonAbout this lesson
Checkmate means the king is attacked and there is no legal defense. Stalemate is different: the player is not in check but has no legal move.
Key ideas
- Checkmate = a win for the player delivering mate.
- Stalemate = a draw.
- You never capture the king; the game ends at checkmate.
Coach tip: When attacking the king, check every escape square before calling mate.
Test yourself
A player is not in check but has no legal move. What is the result?
- Win
- Stalemate and draw
- Checkmate
Show answer
Correct answer: Stalemate and draw
Practise this lesson interactively
Open the ChessRivo Academy board exercise for this exact lesson. Your progress is saved when you are signed in.
Open interactive lessonHow to use this lesson in a real game
Turn the idea into a repeatable decision process.
- Before moving, name the position feature this lesson is about.
- Find one candidate move that follows the lesson idea and one alternative.
- After the game, return to the critical position and compare your choice with the lesson.