What is "scholar's mate"

n. (context chess English) The checkmate which occurs shortly after the opening, when the white queen checkmates by taking the black pawn on f7 (or the black queen taking the white pawn on f2), protected by a bishop on c4 (or c5).

{{Chess diagram

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rd| |bd|qd|kd|bd| |rd

pd|pd|pd|pd| |ql|pd|pd

| |nd| | |nd| |

| | | |pd| | |

| |bl| |pl| | |

| | | | | | |

pl|pl|pl|pl| |pl|pl|pl

rl|nl|bl| |kl| |nl|rl

Scholar's Mate – Black is checkmated. }}

Animation demonstrating Scholar's Mate

In chess, Scholar's Mate is the checkmate achieved by the following moves, or similar:

1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7#

The moves might be played in a different order or in slight variation, but the basic idea is the same: the queen and bishop combine in a simple mating attack on f7 (or f2 if Black is performing the mate).

Scholar's Mate is sometimes referred to as the "Four-Move Checkmate", although there are other ways to checkmate in four moves.