Checkmate moves in chess are important to learn. You can play the entire game with no problems but if you can not checkmate your opponent at the right time then there is no point to playing well. Checkmate means trapping the king and that is exactly what a player needs to do while playing a chess game.Sometimes you are running out of time or you just want to surprise your opponent. In such a scenario you should try to use the fastest checkmate moves. We’ve compiled the best moves that you can use to quickly mate your opponent and win the game.
Fool’s Mate
In chess, the fool’s mate is also called 2 move checkmate. This mate is delivered in the fewest moves possible and is the quickest way to end a game of chess. However, this can only be played by the player who has black pieces. In this checkmate, the brutal mate is delivered by the queen in the second move itself. The fool’s mate got its name because black can only do it if the player with white pieces makes a very foolish blunder. Do not expect this move to work on even ranked beginner level players but it can help you defeat people who are just starting. So if you’re playing as white then avoid opening up on the king’s side diagonally because it gives a lot of exposure for the queen to attack if there is no defence.
Smothered Checkmate
In a smothered checkmate, the king has no piece to move because it is surrounded by his pieces. This checkmate is delivered by the knight. Sometimes, one of the surrounding pieces includes a piece from the opponent but the king is unable to capture it because it is covered by another piece. This mate usually happens in the corner of a chessboard, this is because only a few pieces are needed to surround a king in this area. So if you castle, leave some space for your king to move or you might have to face the smothered checkmate. The very act of castling which is meant to keep the king safe will lead to your defeat. Keep an eye out of the opponent’s horse and do not allow this to happen.
Scholar’s Mate
The 4 move checkmate which is also known as the scholar’s mate can be achieved with the involvement of your pawn, bishop and queen. The first move is to bring out your pawn, such that it opens up space for your bishop. Now place the bishop on a square where it can cover the square which is diagonal to the opponent’s king and in front of their bishop. Then bring out your queen and place it in the file diagonal to the opponent’s king. If your opponent fails to notice the threat, simply capture the pawn in front of the opponent’s bishop with your queen and deliver your checkmate. Now that you know what this 4 move checkmate looks like, we expect you to recognize it when the opponent is playing this against you. A simple way to avoid it is by using your knight to protect the pawn and threaten the queen.
Hippopotamus Mate
This checkmate strategy was named as Hippopotamus checkmate because of its unique form. The opening for this mate is quite irregular but it can end the game just in six moves. So this is perfect if you’re in a hurry and want to end the game quickly. Even though some consider it as a bad opening strategy, some think that it is the best opening to be used against an aggressive player.
3 Move Checkmate
The 3 move checkmate is a form of fool’s mate where one move is extended. This is again dependent on how the opponent moves and if they blunder or not. Again, this is not advised to play against opponents who are average. It might work against absolute rookies but it would be a shame to use this anyway. However, you can use it as a way to explain the logic behind chess and teach your opponent.
Final Thoughts
There are the fastest checkmate moves. They might be difficult to grasp in written format because it is hard to picture a chessboard and all the pieces at one place if you are just starting. So play on our Rummy Bo app and practise these checkmate moves in chess.
