Checkmate · First steps

Scholar's Mate

Scholar's mate is a four-move checkmate: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7#. White's queen and bishop both attack f7, a square only Black's king defends, and the queen takes there with mate.

Last updated November 7, 2026

touch_appTry it: Queen and bishop both hit f7, which only the king defends. If Black doesn't cover it, Qxf7 is mate.

What is Scholar's mate?

Scholar's mate is a four-move checkmate: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7#. White's queen and bishop both attack f7, a square only Black's king defends, and the queen takes there with mate. It only works if Black ignores the threat, and it is easy to stop.

An early queen on h5 or f3 together with a bishop on c4: f7 is attacked twice and defended only by the king.
As White it's the same square for Black: f2, with a bishop on c5 and a queen on h4 or f6.

The moves, one at a time

1.e4 e5. Both sides open the centre. White's queen and light-squared bishop now have open lines.

2.Bc4. The bishop aims straight at f7. At the start of the game f7 is defended only by Black's king.

2...Nc6 3.Qh5. Now the queen hits f7 too (and the e5 pawn). Two attackers, one defender: White threatens Qxf7 mate.

3...Nf6?? develops a piece and attacks the queen, but it does nothing for f7. White to move: finish it.

Why it works

Final position after 4.Qxf7#.

Qxf7#! The queen gives check from f7. The king can't take her because the bishop on c4 protects f7. It can't run either: its own queen, bishop and pawn fill d8, f8 and d7, and the queen on f7 covers e7. Nothing can capture the queen or block a check from the square next to the king.

How to stop Scholar's mate

Knowing the mate is half of it; the other half is never getting mated. Each position below is one move before Scholar's mate lands. Find the move that stops it. Every answer is checked by Stockfish.

quiz3 defending positions from real openings. Find the defence; a wrong try is explained. No account needed.

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Questions people ask

Can you do Scholar's mate against good players?add

Not really. Anyone who knows it defends f7 with one move (...g6, ...Qe7 or ...Nf6, depending on where the queen is), and then White's early queen just gets chased while Black develops. It catches beginners, which is why it is worth knowing how to stop.

How do you stop Scholar's mate?add

Watch f7. If the queen is on h5, play ...g6 (it blocks and attacks the queen) or ...Qe7. If the queen is on f3, play ...Nf6 to block the f-file. Then keep developing: every move that attacks the queen gains you time.

Is Scholar's mate the same as the four-move checkmate?add

Yes. Scholar's mate, the four-move checkmate and the school mate are names for the same attack on f7 with queen and bishop.

Keep going

Opening: Italian Gamearrow_forwardThe same start (e4, Bc4 aiming at f7), played the sound way: develop, castle, then attack.Rules: check and checkmatearrow_forwardWhat check and checkmate mean, and the three ways out of check.Fool's Matearrow_forwardFool's mate is the fastest checkmate in chess: 1.f3 e5 2.g4?? Qh4#.Kiss of Deatharrow_forwardThe kiss of death is a queen checkmate right next to the enemy king, with another of your pieces protecting the queen so the king can't take it.