What Happens if You Don’t Say Check in Chess?

In chess, a check is a threat to capture the opponent’s king. When a king is in check, it means that it is under attack, and the player must get the king out of check as soon as possible.

This can be done by moving the king to a safe square, blocking the attack with a piece, or capturing the attacking piece.

Those who are new to chess think they must announce a check, but do they?

You do not have to announce a check in a chess game and nothing happens if you don’t say check in chess. Saying check is basically warning your opponent that their king is under threat, but the rules of FIDE and USCF both do not oblige players to announce checks, and professional players never do.

Recently though, I’ve noticed a lot of misinformation about this very simple question, so in this article, let me try my best to explain what are the laws and rules on the topic and what actually happens on the board; so keep reading… let’s go.

Do You have to Say Check in Chess?

When I first started playing chess, I used to say it all the time, but in my first tournament, I noticed how the top players never did, so I stopped.

In the game of chess, it is not necessary to say “check” when putting your opponent’s king in check.

However, in the amateur and non-pro circle, it is a common practice and is even considered good sportsmanship to announce a “check” to alert your opponent that their king is in a threatened position.

This allows the opponent to see the threat and respond accordingly, making the game more interactive and enjoyable.

However, on the higher levels, like in the Masters’ games and higher (IMs, GMs, and their F-counterparts), a check is almost never announced, and some would even consider announcing chess as insulting as if you are saying to the other player that you don’t think they know what is happening on the board, so that’s why it never happens.

What do the Rules say?

According to both the FIDE’s Rule book and the USCF rule book, you do not have to announce a check in chess.

In fact, it is not mandatory to say anything in a chess game. Some people think that you have to announce a check or a checkmate, but you don’t. Some people also believe you need to ask your opponent verbally for a draw by saying, “draw?” or “I offer a draw”, and again, you don’t. I’ll discuss the draw situation in another article.

For now, all you need to know is that you can play the whole chess game without saying a single word, regardless of what happens in the game, and that’s how most chess games are actually played.

What happens if you don’t say or announce checks in chess?

Nothing happens if you don’t announce a check in a chess game. There are no official penalties or consequences in the rules of chess for not announcing checks.

What happens if the opponent overlooks the check?

n chess, if a player does not notice that their king is in check and makes a move, this is known as an “illegal move.”

If this happens in casual games, the opponent can point out the illegal move, and the player must take back their move and make a legal one.

If the player cannot make a legal move, then it is considered a win for the opponent by the rules of “checkmate.”

It’s considered good sportsmanship to politely point out your opponent’s illegal move in casual games. However, in formal games, it’s not uncommon for the opponent to call over the arbiter to enforce the rules, but this actually depends on the time control of the game.

Making an illegal move in standard time control

This really just depends on how friendly both players are. Officially, under the rules of FIDE, if your opponent makes an illegal move, you must stop the clock and call the arbiter.

The arbiter will then check the scoresheet against position on the board, verify the illegal move and then add two minutes to the other player’s time and ask the player that made the illegal move to take it back and make a legal move with the same piece if possible as the touch-move rule applies here.

However, if no legal moves can be made, the arbiter will ask you to make another move with another piece.

Let me state a note here; this almost NEVER happens in top-level games, as making illegal moves in standard time control is extremely rare because professional players do not make these mistakes.

However, making illegal moves is fairly common in Blitz and rapid, so let’s talk about this.

Making an illegal move in Blitz Games

In Blitz games, making illegal moves results in a time penalty under FIDE and USCF rules, the first illegal move results in a 2-minute bonus being added to the opponent while also being forced to make another move, and this is considered a warning. Basically, you will lose the game with the second illegal move, not the first.

In mid-level games, you will probably have to call the arbiter over, and they will have to verify the move without a scoresheet since you don’t write your moves in Blitz, but there are often spectators who witness the move that was made if the opponent tries to lie about it.

In top-level games, where the two players are actually masters or grandmasters, the player that made the illegal move will simply notice and resign on his own.

Why? Because a 2-minute advantage is more than enough in a blitz game to crush their opponent in most situations.

Do you have to announce a checkmate?

Similarly, no official rule requires a player to announce a checkmate. In casual games, it is generally considered good sportsmanship to do so, and it’s really fun to do as well.

In a formal tournament setting, a player may be required to announce checkmate to an arbiter, who can then declare the game over.

It is worth noting that some casual players may prefer to play without announcing checkmate, and in these cases, it is up to the players to agree on the specific rules they want to follow.

This is basically everything you need to know about announcing checks and checkmates in chess, and I hope you found it helpful.

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