Perpetual check is a series of checks the opponent cannot escape. It ends in a draw by repetition: threefold, which a player must claim, or fivefold, which ends the game automatically.
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Start0/9
A player who is behind on material can still draw if the enemy king can never get out of check. Material does not matter while the checks go on.
How to do it
- 1Find two safe squares from which your queen can check the king in turn.
- 2Make sure the king has no square that stops the checks.
- 3Repeat the checks until the draw is claimed.
For your level
When you are losing, look for checks that never stop. If the king cannot escape them, it is a draw.
Check you have it
Pitch it for:
Question 1 of 1
Play the moves through. How does the game end?
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Common mistakes
- Starting the checks without a second checking square, and running out after one.
- Taking a perpetual in a position that was winning.
Questions
- Is perpetual check a draw?
- Yes. There is no separate rule for it: the game is drawn when the same position appears three times and a player claims it, or five times, when the draw is automatic. Players often agree a draw before that.