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.CreationDate: 2024-10-31T02:08:28.717Z
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.
  
  
  ---
  
  