Checkmate vs Impasse - What's the difference?
checkmate | impasse | Related terms |
(chess) Word called out by the victor when making the conclusive move.
The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture.
(figuratively, by extension) Any losing situation with no escape; utter defeat.
(chess) To put the king of an opponent into checkmate.
(by extension) To place in a losing situation that has no escape.
a road with no exit; a cul-de-sac
a deadlock or stalemate situation in which no progress can be made
* {{quote-book
, year=1960
, author=
, title=(Jeeves in the Offing)
, section=chapter XIV
, passage=“It seems to me the thing's an impasse . French expression,” I explained, “meaning that we're stymied good and proper with no hope of finding a formula.”}}
* 2010 ,
As nouns the difference between checkmate and impasse
is that checkmate is the conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture while impasse is a road with no exit; a cul-de-sac.As an interjection checkmate
is word called out by the victor when making the conclusive move.As a verb checkmate
is to put the king of an opponent into checkmate.checkmate
English
Interjection
(en interjection)Synonyms
* (chess)Noun
(wikipedia checkmate) (en noun)Verb
(checkmat)- That jerk checkmated me in four moves!
References
*Daily Times article on the etymology of the word
impasse
English
Noun
(wikipedia impasse) (en noun)- "Young man, this town is at a bit of an impasse . If you have any suggestion that might help, now would be the time to voice it."
