In chess, scholar's mate is the checkmate achieved by the following moves, or similar:
4. Qxf7
The same mating pattern may be reached by various move orders. For example, White might play 2.Bc4. In all variations, the basic idea is the same: the queen and bishop combine in a simple, occurring on f7 for White or on f2 for Black.
Scholar's mate is sometimes referred to as the four-move checkmate, although there are other ways for checkmate to occur in four moves.
Scholar's mate was named and described in The Royall Game of Chesse-Play, a 1656 text by Francis Beale which adapted the work of the early chess writer Gioachino Greco.[1] The example given above is an adaptation of that reported by Beale.
All of the details are coherent from the modern perspective except for the first moves by each player—if Black's pawn advances only one square, this prevents White's bishop from supporting the white queen to give mate. Beale's text was an early modern account of the rules and tactics of chess, including concepts such as the ability of a pawn to advance two squares on its first move, the en passant capture,, and exchanges.[2] However, the document treated a then-exotic subject during the early days of printing; consequently the publisher attached a list of errata at the back, following publication.[3] Thus, the text "one houſe" describing the first move (advancing one square) may have been a mistake.
During the eighth round of the World Rapid Chess Championship 2023, Surya Shekhar Ganguly as white was checkmated in 8 moves by Mukhiddin Madaminov in a Scotch Game that ended in a scholar's mate.[4] [5]
Unlike fool's mate, which rarely occurs at any level, games ending in scholar's mate are quite common among beginners. It is not difficult to parry, however.
After 1.e4, Black can play a semi-open defense instead of 1...e5. Openings such as the French Defense (1...e6) or the Scandinavian Defense (1...d5) render the scholar's mate unviable, while other openings such as the Sicilian Defense (1...c5) make 2.Bc4 a bad move (1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6, intending ...d5, gaining by attacking the c4-bishop and attaining easy).
Black's defense depends on whether White goes for 2. Qh5 (the Danvers Opening) or 2. Bc4 (the Bishop's Opening).
White does not threaten Qxf7# yet, but does threaten Qxe5+. The cleanest way to defend against this is 2...Nc6, developing a knight and protecting the pawn. (2...d6 is also good.) After 3. Bc4, Black can stop the mate with 3...g6; White can threaten mate again with 4. Qf3, but this can be stopped with 4...Nf6. Black can later fianchetto the f8-bishop (...Bg7).
The most popular response to 2. Bc4 is 2...Nf6, the Berlin Defence, which immediately renders the scholar's mate non-viable.
In the continuation 2...Bc5 (the Classical Defence) 3. Qh5, Black can defend against both scholar's mate and the threatened 4. Qxe5+ with 3...Qe7, intending to gain a tempo later with 4...Nf6. The further continuation 4. Nf3 (threatening Nxe5) Nc6 5. Ng5 g6 (diagram) 6. Qf3? Qxg5 7. Qxf7+ Kd8 leaves White with no checkmate and no good way to defend against both ...Nd4, threatening the c2-pawn, and ...Qf6, exchanging queens.
Although a quick mate on f7 is almost never seen in play above beginner level, the basic idea underlying it—that f7 and f2, squares defended only by the kings, are weak and therefore good targets for early attack—is the motivating principle behind a number of chess openings.[6]
Among English speakers, the scholar's mate is also known as schoolboy's mate (which in modern English perhaps better connotes the sense of "novice" intended by the word scholar's) and Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war", meaning a quick victory).
The names of the scholar's mate in other languages are as follows:
Bibliography