This article was co-authored by Vitaly Neimer. Vitaly Neimer is an International Chess Master and Certified Professional Chess Coach with over 15 years of training experience. He has been a part of the United States' Webster SPICE national chess champion team and is also a two-time Israeli national chess champion.
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Usually, checkmate occurs in the endgame of chess, after many turns by each player. However, this can be achieved in as little as two moves by performing the Fool's Mate. Advance players will seldom fall for the Fool's Mate, but if you're playing a beginner or don't want to be bested by it, refer here.[1]
Steps
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1Play black. In the rules of chess, white will always go first. If you were to be the one who goes first, this will take yet another move, or possibly four or five.EXPERT TIPVitaly Neimer is an International Chess Master and Certified Professional Chess Coach with over 15 years of training experience. He has been a part of the United States' Webster SPICE national chess champion team and is also a two-time Israeli national chess champion.International Chess Master
Vitaly Neimer
International Chess MasterFool’s mate is one of the most basic things you need to learn. It’s going to end up happening to you, so you can either try it yourself or somebody is going to try it against you. You should learn how to Fool’s Mate in your first year playing chess.
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2Begin to set up your strategy (g4 e5).
- White begins by moving the pawn on g2 up two spaces to g4. This will help open a path later in these directions.[2]
- You counter by moving the pawn on e7 also two spaces up to e5. This creates a diagonal path towards the side of the board.
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4Checkmate! Your move put white's king in check. White can not use any piece to move out of check, and if black were to move his king out into the queen's path, it would be an illegal move. The game is over with checkmate.[3]
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I do a Fool's Mate in four moves, or must it be in two moves?
DonaganTop AnswererThe Fool's Mate consists of two moves (for black). However, you can insert other moves into the sequence, as long as you don't block your own progress. -
QuestionWhat should I do if the opponent does not move as I want him/her to?
Community AnswerThis is when you begin to understand the meaning of playing chess. That is the mindset of a potentially great player. In time, you will learn how to make decisions based on any opponent's move. -
QuestionHow can I win with only with my king left and the opponent has 2 queens?DonaganTop AnswererThat position will lead to a very quick loss. You would probably resign (give up) long before you get to that position.
Warnings
- You need a hugely cooperative opponent or beginner to perform Fool's Mate, so it is not performed very often.[4]⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- A chess set
References
- ↑ https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-fastest-possible-checkmate-in-chess
- ↑ http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/basic/scholars/scholars.htm
- ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/chess-win-in-two-moves-fools-mate-how-to-play-a8221446.html
- ↑ https://nairobichessclub.com/traps-tricks-mistakes-fools-mate/
About This Article
To perform a fool’s mate in chess, you’ll need your opponent to make a couple of fatal mistakes that open up their King to attack. Let’s say you’re playing as black. If white opens with pawn to f3, a weak opening move, you would respond with pawn to e5. This opens up the diagonal for your Queen and sets you up for the fool’s mate if white makes another mistake. If white then moves pawn to g4, another blunder, you would move Queen to h4, checkmate. Your Queen threatens white’s King on the diagonal, and there’s nowhere for white’s King to escape to.
