échec

Échec is a French noun with two principal senses. In general language, échec denotes failure or defeat in a task, project, competition, or life event. It can describe a setback, an unsuccessful result, or a disruption in plans, and appears in expressions such as échec scolaire (academic failure) or échec professionnel (professional setback). The term often conveys a negative outcome rather than a personal flaw.

In chess, échec designates the situation where the king is under direct threat of capture by an opponent’s piece. The game itself is called les échecs. The related verb form is mettre en échec or faire échec, meaning to put the opponent’s king in check. When a move places the opponent in check, it is said to give échec; if the position is such that the opponent cannot escape, the game reaches échec et mat, or checkmate.

Etymology and usage: the chess sense derives from Old French eschec, literally the act of checking the king in the game; the noun and the name of the game are connected to this idea. The broader sense of failure also derives from the metaphor of a king being forced into a compromised position. While the two meanings share a root, they are used in distinct contexts—one behavioral and evaluative, the other formalized within the rules of chess.