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Checkmate: the king is trapped
In check, with no way out.
A king is in 'check' when it's attacked. Checkmate is check with no legal escape: the king can't move to a safe square, the check can't be blocked, and the attacker can't be captured. The game ends instantly — the king is never actually taken.
In the diagram, the rook checks the king along the back rank. The king would love to run forward, but its own pawns sit on f7, g7, and h7 — every escape is gone.
The king is in check and has no legal move. What is this?
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