Answers.Body: <p>It is extremely difficult to know how far you are from checkmate. If you could calculate as deep as you wanted (essentially, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solving_chess" rel="nofollow">solve chess</a>), then you would be able to look it up on a database. My suggestion then is that you try to calculate and see if you find a series of moves that do the job. As this series of moves will very likely proceed from a tactical motif, I strongly suggest that you study a few of the many indicators that allow you to know whether a tactical combination is possible.</p>
  
  <p>As a starting point, you may want to check <a href="http://chesstempo.com/" rel="nofollow">Chess Tempo</a> and it's <a href="http://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html" rel="nofollow">Tactical Motifs</a> list, which include many of the most basic and important ones.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-10-19T14:59:46.670Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-10-19T14:59:46.670Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pablo S. Ocal
Answers.Body: <p>when the opponent's king is open and you have a lot of pieces around your opponent's kings. Also, if your opponent does not have many defenders.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-10-18T19:24:29.763Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-10-18T19:24:29.763Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: CognisMantis
Body: <p>What are some tips to tell if you are close to checkmate?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-10-18T15:53:05.960Z
Comments.Text: When Stockfish tells you so
Comments.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-10-18T16:16:57.677Z
Comments.Text: Calculate! The real question is, does you opponent know?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-10-18T16:48:04.977Z
Comments.Text: In which position do you want to know such information and why? Please provide more details to encourage people to give answers that consider things you want to know.
Comments.UserDisplayName: JiK
Tags: <checkmate>
Title: How to tell how far you are from checkmate?
ThreadText: # How to tell how far you are from checkmate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-18)
  
  What are some tips to tell if you are close to checkmate?
  
  **Tags:** checkmate
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: When Stockfish tells you so  
  > **username_2**: Calculate! The real question is, does you opponent know?  
  > **username_3**: In which position do you want to know such information and why? Please provide more details to encourage people to give answers that consider things you want to know.  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2014-10-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  It is extremely difficult to know how far you are from checkmate. If you could calculate as deep as you wanted (essentially, [solve chess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solving_chess)), then you would be able to look it up on a database. My suggestion then is that you try to calculate and see if you find a series of moves that do the job. As this series of moves will very likely proceed from a tactical motif, I strongly suggest that you study a few of the many indicators that allow you to know whether a tactical combination is possible.
  
  As a starting point, you may want to check [Chess Tempo](http://chesstempo.com/) and it's [Tactical Motifs](http://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html) list, which include many of the most basic and important ones.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2014-10-18. Score: 1
  
  when the opponent's king is open and you have a lot of pieces around your opponent's kings. Also, if your opponent does not have many defenders.
  
  
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