Songfacts®:

• Labelle founder Nona Hendryx wrote this song at the request of her friend, Dusty Springfield. In a conversation with Songfacts, Hendryx said that the chess-metaphor of "Checkmate" is a double entendre. The surface layer has to do with love and romantic relationships, with references to kings, queens, bishops, and knights played against each other in a battle for power. Neither the lyrics nor Springfield's vocal performance are cynical or defeatist, but there is an edge of anger in lyrics like:
  
  I'm a Queen to your King
  Yes, I've been told that you use your pawn to hurt me
  
  Springfield seems to enjoy the game, though, when she asserts:
  
  You can bait me, fake me
  But I keep on comin' at ya
  
  So this is a chess game between two evenly matched opponents who trade wins and losses, even if such a power struggle in a relationship may not sound entirely healthy.
• In addition to the more obvious relationship layer, there is also a chess game being played out between Springfield and Hendryx. According to Hendryx, Springfield was a fan of intelligent, complex lyrics, which meant Hendryx had to bring her A-game in writing a song for her. "Checkmate" was Hendryx's victorious response to Springfield's request.