Meaning
check; setback
- check (in chess)
- setback, defeat
- square (on a chessboard)
- chess piece
In a sentence
L'attacco improvviso ha messo il re sotto scacco.
The sudden attack put the king in check.
La squadra ha subito un grave scacco nella partita di ieri.
The team suffered a serious setback in yesterday's match.
Con una mossa geniale, il maestro ha dato scacco al re.
With a brilliant move, the master checked the king.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| scacco | masculine · singular |
| scacchi | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- In modern Italian, scacco is mostly used in chess expressions; for the game itself, scacchi is far more common.
- Do not confuse scacco with scacchi: singular often appears in fixed phrases, while the game name is normally plural.
- Outside chess, scacco appears in formal expressions like mettere in scacco, meaning to corner or neutralize someone.