👉 A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
Alright class, settle down, let’s take a look! That definition you read – “A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece” – that describes what we call a check . Now, think of it like this: Imagine your king is standing proud and tall, feeling quite grand. But suddenly, a sneaky pawn or a determined knight comes along and puts him under pressure! He’s in danger, he's being checked – meaning he needs to be saved. It’s not a capture, don't you see? It just means the king is vulnerable, urgently! You need to get your king out of harm’s way, by moving him to safety, or blocking the attacking piece with another one of your own. Here’s a rhyme to help it stick: “Check, check, check – a warning sound, Your king is threatened, all around!” Do you understand now? Any questions before we move on to how to respond to a check? Let's talk about your options!