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Checkmate from close by (1)

If a king can’t get out of check, it is checkmate (or mate).
Checkmate is how you win the game!
The player who checkmates gets one point, the other player gets nothing.

There is more than one way to checkmate.
In this lesson, you learn how to checkmate from close by.
You move as near to the king as you safely can.
That way, the king has fewer squares to flee to.

Look at the board to see how to do this.
Example 1: The queen is very far away, but she is checking the king.
Is it checkmate?
No, it is not: the king can flee to four safe squares.
Example 2: Here, the queen is right up next to the king.
The king can’t move away to a safe square.
But it is not checkmated yet!
The king can save himself by taking the queen.
To make mate, the queen needs a helper.
Example 3: Now, Black is checkmated.
The bishop helps protect the queen, stopping the king from taking.

So remember: always be careful when you move a piece right next to the king.
Make sure the king can’t capture your piece!
To create mate this way, one piece helps another.
It’s a smart way to make checkmate.
The king can’t get away and it can’t be blocked by another piece either.

What do you have to do?
Checkmate the king from close by.


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