plural checkmates
: a situation in chess in which a player loses the game because that player's king is in a position from which it cannot escape
a brilliant move that resulted in checkmate
The challenger can force a checkmate with his next move.
Cite this Entry
“Checkmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/checkmate. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
