What is "checkmate"

Checkmate \Check"mate\ (ch[e^]k"m[=a]t), n. [F. ['e]chec et mat, fr. Per. sh[=a]h m[=a]t checkmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. m[=a]ta he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to be dead, and the game is finished. See Chess.]

1. The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game.

2. A complete check; utter defeat or overthrow.

Checkmate \Check"mate\ (-m[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Checkmated; p. pr. & vb. n. Checkmating.]

1. (Chess) To check (an adversary's king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape.

2. To defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart.

   To checkmate and control my just demands.
   --Ford.

mid-14c., from Old French eschec mat (Modern French échec et mat), which (with Spanish jaque y mate, Italian scacco-matto) is from Arabic shah mat "the king died" (see check (n.1)), which according to Barnhart is a misinterpretation of Persian mat "be astonished" as mata "to die," mat "he is dead." Hence Persian shah mat, if it is the ultimate source of the word, would be literally "the king is left helpless, the king is stumped."

late 14c.; see checkmate (n.). Related: Checkmated; checkmating.

interj. (context chess English) Word called out by the victor when making the conclusive move. n. 1 The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture. 2 (context figuratively by extension English) Any losing situation with no escape; utter defeat. vb. 1 (context transitive chess English) To put the king of an opponent into checkmate. 2 (context transitive by extension English) To place in a losing situation that has no escape.

1. n. complete victory

2. a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king [syn: mate]

3. v. place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game; "Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves" [syn: mate]

Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is a game position in chess in which a player's king is in check (threatened with capture) and there is no way to remove the threat. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.

In chess the king is never actually captured – the game ends as soon as the king is checkmated. In master and serious amateur play, most players resign an inevitably lost game before being checkmated, and it is considered bad etiquette to continue playing in a completely hopeless position.

If a player is not in check but has no legal move, then it is stalemate, and the game immediately ends in a draw. A checkmating move is recorded in algebraic notation using the hash symbol (#) – for example, 34.Qh8#.

Checkmate ( 1930) is one of the many popular novels written by Englishman Sydney Horler in the first half of the 20th century. Forgotten today, the book describes the exciting lifestyle of the wealthy social elite. Checkmate adds an element of crime and adventure to that atmosphere, but the countless coincidences throughout the plot guarantee a thoroughly predictable happy ending, complete with a double wedding.

Checkmate is a situation in the game of chess and other activities which results in defeat.

Checkmate or Checkmates may also refer to:

Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue Studios. Guest stars included Charles Laughton, Peter Lorre, Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney and many other prominent performers.

Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!. In the wake of events depicted in the mini-series The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, Checkmate had been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council-affiliated agency and had its own series, Checkmate (vol. 2).

"Checkmate" is a television episode of the British science fiction-allegorical series, The Prisoner. It was first broadcast by ITV (ATV Midlands) on 24 November 1967.

As the title suggests, the plot centres on a game of human chess, directed by a mysterious "man with a stick". The chess game has been described as a metaphor for life itself, albeit a somewhat transparent one. "Checkmate" received the highest viewership of any of the series' episodes on its first UK broadcast.

The central themes of this episode are conformity, peer pressure, and the perils of leadership.

Checkmate is a one act ballet created by the choreographer Ninette de Valois and composer Arthur Bliss. The idea for the ballet was proposed by Bliss, and subsequently produced by de Valois for the Vic-Wells Ballet. It was first performed on 15 June 1937 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris. Checkmate is widely regarded as de Valois' signature ballet and a cornerstone of the British ballet repertoire, being performed regularly by the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Checkmate is a Canadian hip hop artist from Vancouver. He is most known for guesting on the Rascalz' 1998 single " Northern Touch", which also which featured Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, and Thrust. He has also done work with Rascalz outside "Northern Touch". His 2002 album R.A.W. was nominated at the 2003 Juno Awards for 'Rap Recording of the Year'.

He made a guest appearance on Emily Jordan's eponymous album in 2004.

He is now working with fellow Canadian rapper Concise the Dark Knight as half of the rap group duo Defenders of the Faith. Together they have released several albums including Afrikan Kings.

Checkmate is the sixth studio album by American rapper B.G. released on Cash Money Records. It was his last release with Cash Money Records. All production was done by producer Mannie Fresh. It features guest appearances from the Hot Boys, & the Big Tymers. The album debuted at #21 on the Billboard 200 with over 128,000 copies sold in its first week released and was certified Gold by the RIAA a month later with over 500,000 copies sold.

Checkmate is a 2008 Marathi thriller film. Directed and Written by Sanjay Jadhav and produced by Kanchan Satpute and Chandrashekhar Mahamuni. This movie seems to be heavily inspired by the 2003 movie Confidence with Director: James Foley, Writer: Doug Jung Stars: Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Dustin Hoffman, though the treatment given to the movie is excellent and changes made to Indianize it works.

Checkmate is a live album by American jazz guitarist Joe Pass and pianist Jimmy Rowles, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music). It was re-issued in 1998 on CD by Original Jazz Classics.

Checkmate is a 1935 British crime film directed by George Pearson and starring Maurice Evans, Felix Aylmer and Evelyn Foster. It was based on a novel by Amy Kennedy Gould. A Scotland Yard detective hunts down jewel thieves in London, but becomes involved with the daughter of the gang's boss.

Checkmate was a Bengali television serial which used to air on GEC Star Jalsha.

Checkmate is a two-act farcical play by Andrew Halliday first performed in 1869, and was one of his more successful plays.

Checkmate is a 1911 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. Focusing on the subject of convictions by circumstantial evidence, the plot has a French baron and an American businessman vie for the affections of an heiress. She chooses the American and the French baron conspires with the heiress's aunt to take revenge. The American falls into their trap and is accused of stabbing the baron by the conspirators. The circumstantial evidence was enough to convict him and he is sent to prison. Through the aid of a homeless doppelgänger who looks like the fiancé, he is substituted in prison and the original forces a confession from the aunt. For his plot, the baron is convicted of perjury and sent to prison. Released on February 17, 1911, the film was a critical failure for its improbable plot and its prison substitution scene. The film is presumed lost.

Checkmate is a Nigerian television series that ran in the late 1980s through the early 1990s.

It starred Richard Mofe Damijo, and Francis Agu, among others. It was created by Amaka Igwe.

Checkmate is a 2015 action thriller film.