Checkmate

Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in <a href="/facts/Chess/47ykvkHF">chess</a> and other chess-like games in which a player's <a href="/facts/King_(chess)/SK8neGEX">king</a> is in <a href="/facts/Check_(chess)/WgtqMuwc">check</a> (threatened with <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">capture</a>) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.
In chess, the king is never actually captured. The player loses as soon as the player's king is checkmated. In formal games, it is usually considered good etiquette to <a href="/facts/Resign_(chess)/qjw2lFA9">resign</a> an inevitably lost game before being checkmated.
If a player is not in check but has no legal moves, then it is <a href="/facts/Stalemate/guNfdBrR">stalemate</a>, and the game immediately ends in a <a href="/facts/Draw_(chess)/Q5fysWBJ">draw</a>. A checkmating move is recorded in <a href="/facts/Algebraic_notation_(chess)/gU96RuM3">algebraic notation</a> using the hash symbol "#", for example: 34.Qg3#.

Checkmate open-in-new

Checkmate