Force the perpetual check — Chess Library

White is down the exchange and Black’s queen and rook are active. Instead of trying to save material, find the checking route that guarantees a draw by repetition.

Lesson

White to move. Main line: 1. Qe8+ Kh7 2. Qh5+ Kg8 3. Qe8+

1.Qe8+ gives Black exactly one legal king move. The bishop on d4 covers g7, while the queen covers g8, f8 and f7, so 1...Kh7 is forced. That limited reply is the clue that a repeat may be available.

After 2.Qh5+, the geometry reverses. The queen covers g6 and h6, the bishop covers g7 and h8, and 2...Kg8 is Black’s only legal response. White can now return to e8 and repeat the same two checks.

A perpetual check is a complete tactical objective when the alternative is losing. Before resigning a material-down position, look for checks that force the king between two squares; verify every escape and every possible interposition rather than assuming the repetition works.