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Worksheet: Getting Out of Check and Checkmate

Topic: basics | Level: 1 | Start Here branch

When a king is in check, you must fix it right away by moving the king, capturing the checker, or blocking the line if that works.

Why This Matters

  • You may never ignore check. Your very next move must make the check disappear.
  • There are only three rescue ideas: move the king, capture the checker, or block the line if the attacker slides.
  • If none of those work, the position is checkmate, not just check.

Objectives

  • Use the three rescue ideas: move the king, capture the checking piece, or block the check.
  • Explain that every legal reply to check must make the attack disappear.
  • Tell the difference between check and checkmate.

Practice Tasks

  1. List the three main ways to get out of check.
  2. How is check different from checkmate?
  3. Look at the practice positions and name which rescue idea was used in each one.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

White to move. Find checkmate in one.

Practice 2

Only one rescue works here. Move the king so the check disappears.

Practice 3

Capture the checking rook with your bishop.

Practice 4

The rook's line can be blocked. Slide your bishop in the way.

Mini-Game

White starts in check. Try legal replies only, and notice that any move which does not fix the check is rejected.

Answer Key

Getting Out of Check and Checkmate

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Getting Out of Check and Checkmate.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: List the three main ways to get out of check.

    You can move the king, capture the checking piece, or block the line when the attacker is a rook, bishop, or queen.

  2. Prompt: How is check different from checkmate?

    Check means the king is attacked but has a legal rescue. Checkmate means the king is attacked and there is no legal rescue at all.

  3. Prompt: Look at the practice positions and name which rescue idea was used in each one.

    Practice 1 uses a king move. Practice 2 captures the checking piece. Practice 3 blocks the line. The shared mate-in-one puzzle shows the checkmate idea.

Model Line

  1. Bxe2
  2. Qxe2+
  3. Kxe2

Practice Position Solutions

Getting Out of Check and Checkmate — Practice 1

White to move. Find checkmate in one.

Solution: Qa8#

The white king on g6 already covers g7 and h7, so those squares are off-limits for Black's king. Qa8 checks along the 8th rank, and with g7/h7 covered and g8 controlled by the queen's rank, the king is trapped.

Getting Out of Check and Checkmate — Practice 2

Only one rescue works here. Move the king so the check disappears.

Solution: Kd1

Moving the king is one way out of check. Here, every other reply still leaves the king under attack.

Getting Out of Check and Checkmate — Practice 3

Capture the checking rook with your bishop.

Solution: Bxe2

If you can safely take the checking piece, the check is gone right away.

Getting Out of Check and Checkmate — Practice 4

The rook's line can be blocked. Slide your bishop in the way.

Solution: Be2

Against a rook, bishop, or queen line, sometimes you can place a piece between the king and the attacker.