Translation guide
How to express 'checkmate' in Japanese, from chess to metaphorical defeat.
Declaring checkmate in a game of chess.
The standard loanword for 'checkmate' in chess. Used as a noun or interjection.
チェックメイト！
Checkmate!
これでチェックメイトだ。
That's checkmate.
The native Japanese term for checkmate in shogi (Japanese chess) and sometimes used in chess. More common in shogi contexts.
詰みだ。
It's checkmate.
Describing a situation where someone is trapped or has no way out.
Used metaphorically to mean a hopeless situation, like 'game over' or 'no way out'. Common in everyday speech.
詰み is the native term from shogi and is widely used metaphorically. チェックメイト is the direct loanword for chess and sounds more foreign. For everyday 'no way out' situations, 詰み is more natural.
人生詰みだ。
My life is checkmate.
Also used metaphorically, but less common than 詰み for non-chess situations. Sounds slightly more dramatic or Western.
これで完全にチェックメイトだ。
We're completely checkmated now.