Fool's mate

Fool's mate
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
g8 black knight
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
d7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
e6 black pawn
g4 white pawn
h4 black queen
f3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
d2 white pawn
e2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white bishop
d1 white queen
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Fool's mate: White is checkmated.
Moves
  • 1.f3 e6 2.g4 Qh4#
  • 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4#
  • 1.f4 e6 2.g4 Qh4#
  • 1.f4 e5 2.g4 Qh4#
  • 1.g4 e6 2.f3 Qh4#
  • 1.g4 e6 2.f4 Qh4#
  • 1.g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4#
  • 1.g4 e5 2.f4 Qh4#
OriginGioachino Greco (c. 1620), via Francis Beale (1656)
ParentBarnes Opening, Bird Opening, or Grob's Attack

In chess, fool's mate is the checkmate delivered after the fewest possible moves from the game's starting position.[1] It arises from the following moves, or similar:

1. f3 e6
2. g4?? Qh4#

The mate can be achieved in two moves only by Black, giving checkmate on the second move with the queen. Fool's mate received its name because it can occur only if White commits an extraordinary blunder. Black can be mated in an analogous way, although this requires an additional move, with White's queen delivering checkmate on the third move. Even among rank beginners, this checkmate rarely occurs in practice.

The mate is an illustration of the kingside weakness shared by both players along the f- and g-files during the opening phase of the game. A player may also suffer an early checkmate if the f- and g-pawns are advanced prematurely and the kingside is not properly defended, as shown in historical miniature games recorded in chess literature.

  1. ^ Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992). The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 143. ISBN 9780198661641.