Scholar's mate
A four-move checkmate targeting the f7 square with a queen and bishop.
Scholar's mate is the most famous quick checkmate in chess. White plays 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7#. The f7 pawn is weak from the start of the game - it is defended only by the king - making it the perfect target for a queen and bishop working together.
Every beginner should know this pattern for two reasons: to threaten it, and to defend against it. The defence is simple: after 2.Bc4, play 2...Nf6 to develop and attack the queen at the same time. After 3.Qh5, play 3...g6 to chase the queen away. Knowing the pattern makes you immune to it.
Qxf7# - Scholar's mate delivered
White's queen on f7 delivers checkmate. The black king on e8 cannot escape: d8 is blocked by its own queen, and the white queen covers d8 via the diagonal and f8 and e6. The bishop on c4 covers the d5 and e6 squares. Four moves and the game is over.
The f7 target - bishop and queen line up
After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4, White already eyes the weak f7 pawn. The queen will swing to h5, threatening Qxf7#. Black must respond actively - 2...Nf6 develops a piece and attacks the queen simultaneously, shutting down the Scholar's mate threat.
Key chess terms
Related mating patterns
- Fool's mateThe fastest checkmate possible - two moves, exploiting a badly weakened king diagonal.
- Greco's mateA bishop protects a queen that delivers checkmate to a king cornered by its own rook.
- Legal's mateA queen sacrifice followed by three minor pieces delivering a smothering checkmate in the centre.
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