das  Matt

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/mat/

♟️ What does 'das Matt' mean?

The German word 'das Matt' almost exclusively refers to the state of checkmate in the game of chess. It's the moment when a player's king is under attack (im Schach - in check) in such a way that it cannot escape the attack, and no other move is possible to block the attack. This ends the game.

It's a noun derived from the adjective 'matt' (meaning dull, exhausted, weak), which aptly describes the state of the defeated king.

⚠️ Note: The adjective 'matt' (e.g., 'matte Farben' - dull colors, 'sich matt fühlen' - to feel weak/exhausted) is written in lowercase and has different meanings.

🧐 Grammar of 'das Matt' in Detail

'Das Matt' is a noun of neuter gender (das Neutrum).

Example Sentences

• Nach einem brillanten Zug stand der Gegner vor dem Matt.
  (After a brilliant move, the opponent faced checkmate.)
• Das Ziel des Spiels ist das Matt des gegnerischen Königs.
  (The goal of the game is the checkmate of the opposing king.)
• Der Großmeister erzwang das Matt in nur zwanzig Zügen.
  (The grandmaster forced the checkmate in only twenty moves.)
• Die Analyse zeigte verschiedene Wege zum Matt auf.
  (The analysis revealed various paths to checkmate.)

🎯 How to use 'das Matt'?

'Das Matt' is primarily used in the context of the game of chess. It signifies the final goal and victory.

• In Chess: This is the most common use. Example: "Er setzte seinen Gegner mit der Dame matt." (He checkmated his opponent with the queen. - Here often used in the phrase 'matt setzen', but the noun is 'das Matt').
• Figuratively (rare): It can sometimes be used metaphorically for a hopeless situation, but this is uncommon. The expression 'Schachmatt' is more frequent here ("Er war politisch schachmatt." - He was politically checkmated.).
• Distinction: Do not confuse it with 'das Patt' (stalemate), a draw situation in chess where a player whose turn it is cannot make any legal move, and their king is not in check.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'das Matt'

Article Mnemonic: Think of das Spiel (the game - chess is a game). The goal of das Spiel is das Matt.

Meaning Mnemonic: The king is completely matt (exhausted, weak) at the end – this leads to the Matt (checkmate).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar but different terms:

• matt (adjective): Means dull, lackluster, tired, exhausted, weak. (e.g., matte Oberfläche - dull surface, matte Leistung - weak performance).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum spielen Skelette kein Schach?

Weil sie keinen König mehr haben, den man matt setzen könnte! 😉

(Why don't skeletons play chess? Because they no longer have a king to checkmate!)

📜 Poem about Matt

Auf sechzigvier Feldern der Streit,
(On sixty-four squares, the fight,)
Figuren ziehen, weit und breit.
(Pieces move, far and wide.)
Der König bangt, in Not, in Hast,
(The king fears, in need, in haste,)
Ein falscher Zug, welch eine Last.
(A wrong move, what a burden faced.)
Der Turm rückt vor, die Dame lacht,
(The rook advances, the queen laughs bright,)
Kein Feld mehr frei, bei Tag, bei Nacht.
(No square left free, by day, by night.)
Der letzte Zug, er bringt die Qual,
(The final move, it brings the pain,)
Das Matt besiegelt sein Schicksal.
(The checkmate seals his fate again.)

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich beende ein königliches Spiel,
(I end a royal game,)
bin des Angreifers letztes Ziel.
(am the attacker's final aim.)
Kein Ausweg bleibt, kein Zug, kein Raum,
(No escape remains, no move, no space,)
erfülle des Siegers kühnsten Traum.
(fulfill the winner's boldest dream's embrace.)

Was bin ich? / What am I?

Lösung / Answer: das Matt (Schachmatt / checkmate)

ℹ️ Other Information

Etymology:

The word 'Matt' in the sense of checkmate comes via Middle High German 'mat' from Old French 'mat', which in turn derives from Arabic 'māt' (مَاتَ - he is dead), part of the expression 'aš-šāh māt' (الشَاه مَات - the king is dead/helpless), which originates from Persian. A fascinating journey through languages and cultures!

Use in other games:

Although primarily used in chess, the term 'matt' (as an adjective or part of expressions) can also appear in other contexts, e.g., in the German card game Skat, where you can 'jemanden matt spielen' (play someone matt), meaning to take all their trump cards.