Borrowed from English cheque, from Old French eschec, from Medieval Latin scaccus, from Arabic شَاه (šāh), from Persian شاه (šâh, “king”), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh), from Old Persian 𐏋 (xšāyaθiya, “king”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ksayati (“he rules, he has power over”), from Proto-Indo-European *tke- (“to gain power over, gain control over”). Doublet of xeque, xaque, and xá.