Check
When the king is under direct attack and must respond immediately.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: When I first learned chess at forty, check felt alarming every single time. My heart would jump. But here is what I wish someone had told me earlier: check is not an emergency you react to in a panic. It is a prompt. It is the game tapping you on the shoulder and saying, "Attend to your king first." Once you see it that way, responding to check becomes second nature.
What Does Check Mean?
In chess, check is a direct attack on the king by an opposing piece. When your king is in check, it is the single most urgent thing on the board — you cannot make any other move until the check is resolved. Think of it like a fire alarm: everything else stops until you deal with it.
Any piece can deliver check. A bishop can check from across the board along a diagonal. A rook can check along a file or rank. A knight can check from its unique L-shaped squares, and this is especially tricky because knights jump over other pieces. Even a humble pawn can deliver check if the king wanders into its diagonal capture range. The queen, naturally, is the most versatile check-giver, combining the powers of both the rook and bishop.
Check is not the same as checkmate. In check, you still have options. In checkmate, you have none. This distinction is fundamental, and confusing the two is one of the most common beginner mistakes I see.
Three Ways to Escape Check
There are exactly three ways to get out of check, and understanding all three is essential. I like to remember them with the phrase "Move, Block, or Take."
First, you can move the king to a safe square — one that is not attacked by any enemy piece. This is always an option to consider, though sometimes the king has nowhere safe to go.
Second, you can block the check by placing one of your own pieces between the attacker and your king. This works against bishops, rooks, and queens, since they attack along lines. However, you cannot block a check from a knight or a pawn, because those pieces do not attack in straight lines.
Third, you can capture the attacking piece. If a bishop is giving check and your knight can take it, the check is resolved. But be careful — make sure the square you capture on is actually safe, and that taking the piece does not leave your king exposed to a different attacker.
If none of these three options is available, that is checkmate, and the game is over.
A Classic Discovered Check
Discovered checks are among the most powerful tactical weapons in chess. A discovered check happens when you move one piece out of the way, revealing an attack on the king from a piece behind it. The piece you moved is free to go anywhere — even capture a valuable enemy piece — because the opponent must deal with the check first.
In the position shown, White has just moved the knight, uncovering a check from the bishop on b5. Black must respond to the bishop's check, giving White's knight a free hand to land on the most damaging square available. This is why discovered checks are sometimes called the "nuclear weapon" of chess tactics.
When you see a potential discovered check in your games, stop and calculate carefully. The piece you move can often deliver a devastating blow while the opponent is forced to attend to their king.
White's bishop on b5 is lined up with the black king. If the knight moves, it reveals a discovered check.
Strategic Uses of Check
Beginners tend to give check whenever they can, treating it as inherently good. But experienced players know that check is a tool, not a goal. A pointless check that the opponent escapes easily can actually waste your tempo — a precious turn you could have spent improving your position.
The real power of check lies in forcing your opponent's hand. When you give check, you dictate what your opponent must do next. This is incredibly valuable in combinations, where you need your opponent to respond in a specific way. For example, you might give check to force the king to a certain square, setting up a fork or a pin on the next move.
Check is also a critical defensive resource. If you are losing material, giving a series of checks (sometimes called perpetual check) can sometimes save the game by forcing a draw through threefold repetition. Many seemingly lost positions have been salvaged this way.
As you grow as a player, you will develop what I call "check awareness" — a constant background sense of which squares the enemy king could be checked on. This awareness is the foundation of tactical vision, and it begins right here, with understanding this most basic concept.
Common Questions About Check
Can you castle out of check?
No. If your king is currently in check, you cannot castle. You also cannot castle through check (moving the king across a square that is attacked) or into check. All three restrictions apply.
Do you have to say "check" out loud?
In casual games, saying "check" is a common courtesy. In tournament play under FIDE rules, you are not required to announce check. The opponent is expected to notice it on their own. However, many players still say it as a habit, and it is considered polite in friendly games.
Can a king give check to another king?
Not directly, because a king cannot move to a square adjacent to the opposing king — that would put it in check itself. The two kings must always have at least one square between them. This is sometimes called the "rule of opposition."
Is double check possible?
Yes. Double check occurs when two pieces give check simultaneously, usually through a discovered attack. It is the most forcing move in chess because the only way to escape double check is to move the king — you cannot block or capture two attackers at once.
Professor Archer says: I always tell my students: if you can give check with a purpose, you are playing real chess. Random checks waste time. But a check that forces the king to a worse square, or a check that wins a tempo to reposition your pieces — that is the mark of someone who truly understands the game.
Quick Quiz
Your king is in check from an enemy bishop. Which of the following is NOT a legal way to escape?
- Move the king to a safe square - Moving the king to a safe square is always a valid way to escape check, as long as the destination square is not attacked.
- Capture the attacking bishop - Capturing the piece giving check is one of the three standard ways to escape. Just make sure the capture does not leave your king exposed to another attack.
- Castle to get the king out of danger (Correct) - You cannot castle while in check. This is one of the fundamental castling restrictions. You must resolve the check by moving, blocking, or capturing first.
- Block the check with another piece - Placing a piece between the attacking bishop and your king is a perfectly valid way to escape check, since bishops attack along diagonals.