Blocking
Checkmate
Checkmate noun - A chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king.
Blocking and checkmate are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Blocking" instead a noun "Checkmate".
Nearby Words: checkmated, checkmating
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
- If a player merely moves a friendly piece to block the attempt on their king, the attacker can immediately capture it, reasserting the original check and blocking the attempted counterattack (thus, not a checkmate).
Source: Surprise Checkmate -
In Chess, it's a rare game where the King's pawns are not somehow involved in blocking his retreat and forming a checkmate.
Source: The Guards Must Be Crazy
Cite this Source
Checkmate and Blocking. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/blocking/checkmate
Blocking & Checkmate. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/blocking/checkmate>.
Checkmate or Blocking. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/blocking/checkmate.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "blocking" and "checkmate" have occurred on timeline