Answers.Body: <p>If the king is in check there can never be a stalemate. If your opponent is left with no legal moves (keeping in mind that leaving your own king to be captured is illegal), then it is always either a checkmate or a stalemate.</p>
  <p>If the king is in check, then it's checkmate.</p>
  <p>If the king isn't in check, then it's stalemate.</p>
  
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Answers.Body: <p>The situation you describe seems to be checkmate since the Rook's move put the opposing King into check.</p>
  <p>The key ideas:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>If you check, there is no stalemate. Period.</li>
  <li>If you check, and the opposing King has no legal moves, that is checkmate.</li>
  <li>If you do not check and the opposing King has no legal moves, and the opponent has no other legal moves, that is stalemate.</li>
  </ul>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;White to Play: 1. Ra2# (checkmate)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;8/8/8/k1K5/8/8/6R1/8 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Ra2#
  </code></pre>
  <p>If the opposing King was <strong>not</strong> in check, then you would have stalemate possibilities.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;White to Play: 1. Rb2 (stalemate)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;8/8/8/8/1R6/6R1/8/5K1k w - - 0 1&quot;]
  
  1. Rb2 1/2-1/2
  </code></pre>
  
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Answers.Text: "If you do not check and the opposing King has no legal moves, that is stalemate." - Only if there are also no *other* pieces that can legally move. Otherwise the opening position would be a stalemate!
Answers.UserDisplayName: D M
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Answers.Text: @DM was moving too quickly. Thanks for catching. I've fixed this.
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Answers.Body: <p>“If the king is in check”
  This already means that it’s checkmate, as stalemate only occurs when the enemy king is <em>not</em> in check but has no legal moves.</p>
  
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Body: <p>A king is in check by the rook and the only square to move is close to the opponents king is it stalemate or checkmate?</p>
  
Tags: <checkmate><stalemate>
Title: Is it checkmate or stalemate?
ThreadText: # Is it checkmate or stalemate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-24)
  
  A king is in check by the rook and the only square to move is close to the opponents king is it stalemate or checkmate?
  
  **Tags:** checkmate, stalemate
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-10-24. Score: 9
  
  If the king is in check there can never be a stalemate. If your opponent is left with no legal moves (keeping in mind that leaving your own king to be captured is illegal), then it is always either a checkmate or a stalemate.
  
  If the king is in check, then it's checkmate.
  
  If the king isn't in check, then it's stalemate.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2024-10-24. Score: 3
  
  The situation you describe seems to be checkmate since the Rook's move put the opposing King into check.
  The key ideas:
  
  If you check, there is no stalemate. Period.
  If you check, and the opposing King has no legal moves, that is checkmate.
  If you do not check and the opposing King has no legal moves, and the opponent has no other legal moves, that is stalemate.
  
  [Title "White to Play: 1. Ra2# (checkmate)"]
  [FEN "8/8/8/k1K5/8/8/6R1/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Ra2#
  
  If the opposing King was not in check, then you would have stalemate possibilities.
  [Title "White to Play: 1. Rb2 (stalemate)"]
  [FEN "8/8/8/8/1R6/6R1/8/5K1k w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Rb2 1/2-1/2
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: "If you do not check and the opposing King has no legal moves, that is stalemate." - Only if there are also no *other* pieces that can legally move. Otherwise the opening position would be a stalemate!  
  > **username_2**: @DM was moving too quickly. Thanks for catching. I've fixed this.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-10-24. Score: 2
  
  “If the king is in check”
  This already means that it’s checkmate, as stalemate only occurs when the enemy king is *not* in check but has no legal moves.
  
  
  ---
  
  