History Main / SurpriseCheckmate

In reality, the endgame of TabletopGame/{{chess}} is where one player knows he is about to lose and either [[KnowWhenToFoldEm gives up]] or clings on to the odd chance that he can find a way out.

In fiction, checkmate more often than not comes as a complete surprise, leaving the losing player baffled and the winning player smug about his intellectual superiority. Often paired with a handsome remark ("I believe, sir, that this is checkmate"). This works very well if the work is emphasizing the loser's obliviousness, but quite a few works use this trope to [[SmartPeoplePlayChess emphasize the winner's skill and foresight]], no matter how unrealistic that might be. (Also, giving the audience a clear view of the board [[TakeOurWordForIt is only optional]].)

An especially unlikely form is where one of the players announces 'check', directly followed by the other player countering it with a 'checkmate'. This is virtually impossible to perform in an actual game of chess for several reasons:

However, as a check attempt severely limits the opponent's available options (move their king, capture or block the attacker), a classier (and more technically accurate) version is for the player to predict the number of moves until one player is forced into checkmate -- "checkmates Black in three moves", for example. [[note]]The fact that any decent player will almost always see at least ''one'' move ahead (which is to say that they always know every possible action the opponent can take in the very next move) is precisely why SurpriseCheckmate is so unlikely in real life. Perhaps non-regular-chess-players experience it often enough to think it's just part of the game?[[/note]]

* Barring the unusual case of "discovered check"[[note]]A check caused not by the piece that moved, but another piece it moved out of the way of.[[/note]], if a player merely moves a friendly piece to block the attempt on their king, the attacker can probably immediately capture it, reasserting the original check and blocking the attempted counterattack (thus, not a checkmate).[[note]]The "discovered check" scenario is actually used in chess movie ''Film/DangerousMoves''. See below.[[/note]]

* When ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' was offered [[spoiler:leadership of the Pantheon]] by [[Characters/ThePantheon Agamemnon]], while expressing his doubts, he surprised Agamemnon by putting him in check on a board that had stood untouched in his sanctum for four centuries, underlining his pressure on Agamemnon to be a little more forthcoming. After some soliliquising in response, Agamemnon follows up with a counter-check while putting Banner on the spot.

This trope's LogicalExtreme is "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_mate fool's mate]]", a checkmate in two moves only possible if your opponent (a) [[GenreBlindness has never heard of fools' mate]] and (b) is unlucky/bad enough to perform the precise [[EpicFail terrible]] opening moves that make it possible.

** Though considering he ''is'' Roy Mustang, it's entirely possible he'd deliberately played poorly ''just'' to surprise him with his true skill that one time.

* Barring the unusual case of "discovered check"[[note]]A check caused not by the piece that moved, but another piece it moved out of the way of.[[/note]], if a player merely moves a friendly piece to block the attempt on their king, the attacker can probably immediately capture it, reasserting the original check and blocking the attempted counterattack (thus, not a checkmate).

* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'', Holmes and Moriarty play a game of chess while they discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Moriarty's world power play, all while their agents (Watson and Sim, and Moran and Rene, respectively) covertly wage battle under the cover of a ballroom gathering. Holmes scores this against Moriarty after detailing how his other machinations have led to a police seizure of Moriarty's considerably large war chest and [[InvoluntaryCharityDonation subsequent donation to charity]]. It also foreshadows Holmes's feint with the SherlockScan hand-to-hand combat projection game that the two then play, [[spoiler:hiding Holmes's intent of a HeroicSacrifice to ensure a finality to Moriarty's demise]].

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': In "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIIQueeg Queeg]]", the climactic chess battle between Holly and Queeg for [[AbsurdlyHighStakesGame control of the ship vs deletion]] ends with Queeg triumpantly announcing "Bishop to knight five. Double check and mate, sucker!" to which Holly can only meekly reply "Oh yeah. I didn't see that." Justified by the fact that Holly is suffering from Computer Senility and can barely even remember how to ''play'' chess, even confusing it with ''poker'' early on. [[spoiler:Except not. It's actually because Queeg ''is'' Holly, and the entire match was staged.]]

** The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholar%27s_mate Scholar's Mate]], or Shepherd's Mate, is another beginner's mistake that, unlike the Fool's Mate, is extremely common.

This trope's LogicalExtreme is "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_mate fool's mate]]", a checkmate in two moves only possible if your opponent (a) [[GenreBlindness has never heard of fools' mate]] and (b) is unlucky/bad enough to perform the precise [[EpicFail terrible] opening moves that make it possible.

This trope's LogicalExtreme is "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_mate fool's mate]]", a checkmate in two moves only possible if your opponent (a) [[GenreBlindness has never heard of fools' mate]] and (b) is unlucky/bad enough to perform the precise moves that make it possible.

-> '''The Iron Bull''': You've got no towers, you're down to a single Mage, [[note]]IE: Bishop[[/note]] too bad you wasted time moving that pawn to... to... ''You sneaky sonuvabitch.''\\

** Note that this is averted in the novel -- when Kronsteen gets a message from SPECTRE ordering him to report ''immediately'', he's already placed his opponent in an unwinnable endgame, it's the opponent's move, and there's less than two minutes left on the clock. The drama of the scene comes from Kronsteen choosing to wait out those two minutes while his opponent looks desperately for a way out (which Kronsteen knows he will not find) -- despite knowing that Blofeld will be angry at even this tiny act of disobedience.

This trope's LogicalExtreme is "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_mate fool's mate]]", a checkmate in two moves only possible if your opponent (a) [[GenreBlind has never heard of fools' mate]] and (b) is unlucky/bad enough to perform the precise moves that make it possible.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPkByAkAdZs An Audi commercial]] featuring Creator/LeonardNimoy and Creator/ZacharyQuinto starts off this way. Playing [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration 3-d chess]] on tablets, no less.

* Though not a checkmate, an example between [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony]] and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed]] during ComicBook/CivilWar came close enough. The two are having a debate whilst playing chess on 10 different boards or so, and at the end of the conversation, Reed's been put into check on all 10 boards ''simultaneously''.

* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': In episode 15, Gendo and Fuyutsuki played a Go match as they argued recent developments, and Fuyutsuki was completely surprised when Gendo put him in checkmate. He surrended, knowing that resistance was pointless.

* Mother of all surprises happens in Pixars short "Geri's Game": Geri swindles the opponent by faking a heart attack and rotating the board when his opponent looks under the table. Mother, because his opponent is [[SplitPersonality he himself...]]

* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'', Holmes and Moriarty play a game of chess while they discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Moriarty's world power play, all while their agents (Watson and Sim, and Moran and Rene, respectively) covertly wage battle under the cover of a ballroom gathering. Holmes scores this against Moriarty after detailing how his other machinations have led to a police seizure of Moriarty's considerably large war chest and [[InvoluntaryCharityDonation subsequent donation to charity]]. It also foreshadows Holmes's feint with the SherlockScan hand-to-hand combat projection game that the two then play, [[spoiler:hiding Holmes's intent of a HeroicSacrifice to ensure a finality to Moriarty's demise.]]

* At the end of "Man Hunt" in ''Series/{{NUMB3RS}}'', Don and Alan team up against [[GoodWithNumbers Charlie]], who thinks nothing of grading his students' papers while they play. When Don points out that Charlie misspelled "anomaly," Charlie gets indignant, and he sticks to his guns over the next few moves, even when Alan reminds him that he's not infallible. Eventually, Don gets the dictionary, and before Charlie can collect his wits, Alan delivers checkmate.
** Admittingly, this is what it takes to beat Charlie at chess; two people playing him at once and a distraction.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'' "Nightmare in Silver" this is used on Artie, who is specified to have fallen for the Fool's Mate mentioned in Real Life. Subverted with The Doctor, who is told that he will be checkmated in five moves by the [[spoiler: Cyber Planner]]. He responds by claiming that there's a trap that will give him victory in three moves. His opponent sees no way this can be done, but is worried by the claim and [[spoiler: deactivates the Cybermen to use their processing power to see how this could possibly be the case. It turns out the moves The Doctor was speaking of weren't chess moves at all - it takes him three actions to remove the Cyber Planner from his mind, rendering the game meaningless.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', [[TheProfessor Solas]] and [[GeniusBruiser Iron Bull]] can play chess in party banter, with the board existing only in their memory. Solas does it to assuage Bull's fear that he will become a [[DangerousDeserter mad Tal-Vashoth]] after abandoning the Qun. They end up re-enacting the Immortal Game (see under Real Life). This also forshadows Solas' long-term strategies; the winning move was actually a seemingly pointless pawn movement mid-way through the game.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'''s animated series, Jay loses at least twice to an imprisoned [[TheAssimilator Alpha]], but this may have been because Jay was trying to pump Alpha for information and not focusing on the game. This becomes a ChekhovsSkill -- Alpha won both games with the same distraction tactic, and when he escapes and starts an attack, Jay realizes there's more to the plan. Alpha's retreat includes a transmission, complimenting Jay on managing a stalemate.

* Pretty much any time a 4-move checkmate or one of its variants happens is a surprise to the losing player.
** And sometimes, it's a surprise to BOTH players, like in [[http://turneringsservice.sjakklubb.no/viewgame.aspx?TID=TromsoBymesterskap2012-TromsoSjakklubb&GROUP=&gameno=43 this game]]. White wins a piece in move 14, but opens up the opportunity for a four move checkmate.

** The Fool's Mate [[note]]1. g4 e5 2. f4 [=Qh4=]++ being one way to attain it[[/note]] is a perfect example, though it only rarely happens because it requires a novice player to make a critical opening move mistake.[[note]] While opening with 1. g3 ... 2. [=Bg2=] is a hallmark of hypermodern play and a valid way to build a solid pawn structure while maintaining central square protection, opening with 1. g4 (aka Grob's Attack or simply "The Grob") is widely considered the worst possible opening move (except possibly for 1. f3, aka the Barnes Opening) as it loosens the entire kingside structure and prevents the critical h4 square any sort of defensive coverage. Incidentally, the aforementioned Barnes Opening can also lead to this checkmate via 1. f3 e5 2. g4 [=Qh4=]++[[/note]] Players caught off-guard by this rather surprising mate never fall for this one again, nor will any spectators who see it happen to the novice player.

* If a player merely moves a friendly piece to block the attempt on their king, the attacker can immediately capture it, reasserting the original check and blocking the attempted counterattack (thus, not a checkmate).
** Although this wouldn't work if the moving piece wasn't the one giving check in return (i.e. it was moved out of the way of some other piece, allowing ''that'' piece to put the enemy king in check--called a "discovered check").

* If a player captures the attacking piece, even if this creates a check attempt on the opponent's king, the opponent will almost always have protected that square with a nearby ally who can immediately capture the player's piece in response (thus, not a checkmate).
** Although again it's possible if the capturing piece wasn't the one giving check.
* Speaking of which, advanced chess players are smart enough to anticipate ''all of the above'' situations in advance.

[[folder:Videogames]]
* Chess games, Natch. As well as Shogi.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* In ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', the Waco Kid is shocked when Sheriff Bart checkmates him to end their game.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'''s animated series, Jay loses at least twice to an imprisoned [[YouWillBeAssimilated Alpha]], but this may have been because Jay was trying to pump Alpha for information and not focusing on the game. This becomes a ChekhovsSkill -- Alpha won both games with the same distraction tactic, and when he escapes and starts an attack, Jay realizes there's more to the plan. Alpha's retreat includes a transmission, complimenting Jay on managing a stalemate.

* As a child, Judge Ford played against her mentor, [[Literature/TheWestingGame Sam Westing]]. She got a thrill when she managed to capture his queen, shortly followed a dose of humility when he checkmated her in the next turn. This defeat gets referenced later, and she doesn't welcome the nostalgia.

* In the episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' "Mars University", two geeky fraternity robots are playing chess. All the pieces are in their starting position, and the robot playing white (Oily) announces checkmate 143 turns. The astounded robot playing black (Fat-Bot) exclaims that he's lost again.

* In one episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', two robots are playing chess. All the pieces are in their starting position, and the robot playing white announces a checkmate in some large amount of turns. The astounded robot playing black exclaims that he's lost again and offers the robot playing white a rematch.

* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'', Holmes and Moriarty play a game of chess while they discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Moriarty's world power play, all while their agents (Watson and Sim, and Moran and Rene, respectively) covertly wage battle under the cover of a ballroom gathering. Holmes scores this against Moriarty after detailing how his other machinations have led to a police seizure of Moriarty's considerably large war chest and [[InvoluntaryCharityDonation subsequent donation to charity]]. it also foreshadows Holmes's feint with the SherlockScan hand-to-hand combat projection game that the two then play, [[spoiler:hiding Holmes's intent of a HeroicSacrifice to ensure a finality to Moriarty's demise.]]

* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'', Holmes and Moriarty play a game of chess while they discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Moriarty's world power play, all while their agents (Watson and Sim, and Moran and Rene, respectively) covertly wage battle under the cover of a ballroom gathering. Holmes scores this against Moriarty after detailing how he deprived Moriarty of his considerably large war chest and [[InvoluntaryCharityDonation donated it to charity]]. It's even the page quote for that page.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. In his introductory scene, Captain Kirk beats Spock at three-dimensional chess despite the fact that the Vulcan is a better player. It's implied Kirk was [[GuileHero making erratic moves to throw Spock off his game]].