✔️ Three-check: rules and free online play

Give check three times and you win at once, no mate needed. Every check is counted.

Win: Three checks or mate
Counter: Shown on the board
Style: Aggressive, forcing

Rules

The usual rules of chess apply, but each time you put the enemy king in check the counter goes up. The third check ends the game immediately.

Checkmate still wins, and so does running the opponent out of time.

Try the rules

Pick a position and press a button to see the rule in action.

How it differs from classic chess

Quiet positional play loses its edge: a harmless-looking check can be worth a full point. Keep your king covered and look for forcing sequences.

Tips for beginners

Count the checks available to both sides before every move.
A check that costs a piece may still be worth it as the second or third.
Trade the opponent's attacking pieces to slow the race.

Play and practise

Choose “Three-check” in the game window and play against the Fairy-Stockfish engine or send a link to a friend. Ratings are kept separately for every mode. The site interface is currently in Russian; this page explains the rules in English.