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Scholar's Mate: chess opening trap

The four-move mate. Aim queen and bishop at the king's weak square and hope Black blinks.

e4
e5
Bc4
Nc6
Qh5
Nf6
Qxf7#

Four-move mate with queen and bishop
Queen takes the weak square, bishop guards her, king has nowhere to run. Beginner mate everyone must know from both sides.

Scholar's Mate

TRAP · AS WHITE

Scholar's Mate

The four-move mate. Aim queen and bishop at the king's weak square and hope Black blinks.

Step 1 of 2

Scholar's Mate

The idea

1.Pawn to e4 (e4)

Diagonals first: queen and bishop need them.

The idea

2.Bishop to c4 (Bc4)

Pointed at the one square only the king defends.

The idea

3.Queen to h5 (Qh5)

Mate in one unless Black defends.

The idea

4.Queen captures on f7, mate (Qxf7#)

Bishop guards, king can't run. Mate.

The idea

1.Pawn to e4 (e4)

Diagonals first: queen and bishop need them.

King's pawn out: open the diagonals.

Clean run

Learn · 0/2

Learn

Recall

2 more clean runs (at any point) to reach Recall.

Move 1 of 70%

0/2

The four-move mate. Aim queen and bishop at the king's weak square and hope Black blinks.

The idea

1.Pawn to e4 (e4)

Diagonals first: queen and bishop need them.

The idea

2.Bishop to c4 (Bc4)

Pointed at the one square only the king defends.

The idea

3.Queen to h5 (Qh5)

Mate in one unless Black defends.

The idea

4.Queen captures on f7, mate (Qxf7#)

Bishop guards, king can't run. Mate.

The idea

1.Pawn to e4 (e4)

Diagonals first: queen and bishop need them.

Clean run

Learn · 0/2

Learn

Recall

2 more clean runs (at any point) to reach Recall.