Mating threat

A mating threat exists when a player will be able to give checkmate on the next move, or begin a short sequence that cannot be stopped, if the position is left unchanged. The king does not have to be in check now. The threat concerns what will happen next unless the defender takes action.

A correct response begins by identifying the intended mating square and piece, the king's escape squares, and the pieces supporting the attacker. Defenses may include moving the king, making an escape square, capturing or exchanging an attacker, blocking a line, adding a defender, or using a defensive sacrifice, the surrender of a piece or pawn to remove the danger.

A check or a sufficiently strong threat of one's own can sometimes work because it forces the attacker to respond. That counterplay, meaning active play that creates real problems for the opponent, helps only if it arrives in time. A mating threat is a concrete component of a mating attack, but the broader attack may exist before an immediate threat appears.