How to Win Chess in 4 Moves (and How to Stop It)
The 4-move checkmate is called Scholar's Mate: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7#. White's queen and bishop both aim at f7, the square only Black's king protects. It only works if your opponent ignores the threat; defending it takes a single move such as 3...g6 or 3...Qe7.
The four moves, step by step
Chess moves are written with the piece letter (K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight, nothing for a pawn) and the square it moves to. "x" means a capture and "#" means checkmate. If that's new to you, the squares are named in how to set up a chess board.
- 1. e4 e5. Both sides push the king's pawn two squares. This opens a diagonal for White's bishop and a path for the queen.
- 2. Bc4 Nc6. White's bishop goes to c4, where it points straight at f7. Black develops a knight.
- 3. Qh5 Nf6?? White's queen comes out to h5. Now the queen and bishop both attack f7, and the queen also eyes the e5 pawn. Black attacks the queen with the knight, but that does nothing about f7. This is the losing mistake.
- 4. Qxf7#. The queen takes the f7 pawn with check. The bishop on c4 protects her, so the king can't take her back, and the king has no safe square. Checkmate.
Why f7 is the target
At the start of the game, the pawn on f7 (f2 for White) is the weakest point in the position. Every other pawn on the second row is defended by at least one piece other than the king, but f7 is guarded only by the king. Two attackers against one defender means the pawn falls, and when it falls with check right next to the king, there's often no escape because the king is boxed in by its own pieces.
The same idea appears with the queen on f3 instead of h5 (1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qf3, threatening Qxf7#). The answer is the same: cover f7 or block the line, for example with 3...Nf6.
How to stop the 4-move checkmate
Defending is easy once you look for it. After 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5, any of these keeps Black safe:
- 3...g6. The pawn blocks the queen's diagonal to f7 and attacks the queen, which has to move again. If it goes to f3 to renew the threat, 4...Nf6 blocks that line too.
- 3...Qe7. The queen defends both f7 and the e5 pawn. It's solid, though it blocks the f8 bishop for a while.
Careful with 3...g6 if your e5 pawn is undefended (for example after 2...Bc5 instead of 2...Nc6). Then Qxe5+ wins a pawn with check and also attacks the rook on h8. With the knight on c6 guarding e5, g6 is fine.
The general habit that stops this and many other traps: after every opponent move, ask what it attacks. When a queen and bishop line up on the same square near your king, count attackers and defenders before doing anything else.
Is Scholar's Mate a good way to win?
Against complete beginners it works surprisingly often, which is why it's worth knowing. Against anyone who defends correctly it backfires: the early queen gets chased around while Black develops pieces with tempo, and White ends up behind in development. Use it as a lesson in what to defend, not as your main plan.
For the record, the very fastest checkmate possible is Fool's Mate, in two moves: 1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4#. It only happens if White weakens the king's diagonal with two bad pawn moves.
What actually wins chess games
Quick mates are fun, but most games between beginners are decided by simpler things:
- Don't give pieces away. Before each move, check whether the piece you're moving, or any piece it was protecting, can be taken for free.
- Look for checks, captures and threats for both sides, every move.
- Control the centre with pawns on e4/d4 (e5/d5 for Black) and bring out knights and bishops early.
- Castle early to get your king out of the middle (see castling explained).
- Trade when you're ahead. If you have more material, swapping pieces makes your advantage count, and the endgame becomes easier to win.
You can try Scholar's Mate against Hop on Easy, then see how the Medium and Hard bots punish it. Undo is available on Easy and Medium, so you can step back and try the defence too.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 4-move checkmate called?
Scholar's Mate. The moves are 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Qxf7#, with the queen and bishop attacking f7.
How do you stop Scholar's Mate?
Defend f7 or block the attack before the queen captures. After 3. Qh5, the moves 3...g6 or 3...Qe7 both stop it.
What is the fastest checkmate in chess?
Fool's Mate, in two moves: 1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4#. It needs White to make two weakening pawn moves.
Does Scholar's Mate work against good players?
No. A player who spots the threat defends it in one move, and the early queen sortie then costs White time.
Can Black do Scholar's Mate too?
Yes, the same idea works against f2 if White ignores it, though Black is a move behind, so it's even easier to stop.