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A classic beginners’ trap

Scholar's Mate

Queen and bishop strike together at f7, Black's weakest square.

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Result
1-0
Moves
4
Opening
Bishop's Opening
The names end at
4. Qxf7#

Watch it on the mapFinal position on the map

The story

The Scholar’s Mate is the four-move checkmate every beginner meets sooner or later: the queen and the bishop both aim at f7, the square only Black’s king protects, and 4. Qxf7# ends the game.

It is easy to stop. After 2. Qh5, moves like 2...g6 or 2...Qe7 defend, and the early queen sortie can then be chased with gain of time — which is why the trap only works against players who do not know it.

The first checkmates in chess are possible after four plies (the Fool’s Mate); the Scholar’s Mate needs seven.

Scholar's Mate: the map one move before the mate
The position one move before the mate, with every game of the next four moves around it; 4. Qxf7# is one of them.

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6 4.Qxf7# 1-0

Through the openings

  1. 1. e4King's Pawn Game
  2. 1... e5King's Pawn Game
  3. 2. Bc4Bishop's Opening
  4. 4. Qxf7#Scholar's Mate

More famous games

The Opera GameMorphy, Paris 1858Playing from a box at the opera, Morphy mates his two opponents in 17 moves. The Immortal GameAnderssen, London 1851Anderssen gives up both rooks, a bishop and his queen, then mates with the minor pieces he has left. The Evergreen GameAnderssen, Berlin 1852Anderssen sacrifices his queen and mates with a bishop; more than 170 years on, the game is still fresh. The Game of the CenturyD. Byrne – Fischer, New York 1956Thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer gives up his queen and wins. Kasparov's ImmortalKasparov – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999A rook sacrifice on move 24 starts a hunt that chases Black's king across the whole board. Deep Blue Beats KasparovDeep Blue – Kasparov, New York 1997The last game of the first match a computer won against the world champion, over in 19 moves. The Game Spassky ApplaudedFischer – Spassky, Reykjavik 1972Fischer almost never opened 1.c4; here he did, and at the end even Spassky joined the applause. The Octopus KnightKarpov – Kasparov, Moscow 1985Kasparov's knight digs in on d3 and paralyses White; that match made him world champion. Botvinnik's Bishop SacrificeBotvinnik – Capablanca, AVRO 1938Botvinnik beats former world champion Capablanca with a bishop sacrifice on move 30.