Which ways can a player get out of check in chess?

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In chess, when a player's king is in check—meaning it is under attack by an enemy piece—the player must immediately take action to remove the threat. There are three legal ways to get out of check:

  • Move the king: The player can move the king to a square that is not under attack by any enemy piece.1
  • Capture the attacking piece: If the piece delivering the check is within range, the player can capture it using the king or another piece.21
  • Block the check: The player can place another piece between the king and the attacking piece, effectively shielding the king from the threat. This is not possible if the attacking piece is a knight or if the king is being attacked by an adjacent piece.1

If a player is in check and cannot perform any of these three actions to escape, the king is in checkmate, and the game ends.13