Annotated chess game: The Fool's Checkmate

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ANNOTATED GAME

The Fool's Checkmate
michel77 (1304) vs. otakumadness (1282)
Annotated by: otakumadness (1230)
Chess opening: Grob (A00), spike attack

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The Fool's Checkmate is easily the shortest documented chess game in history - four moves to mate. I don't recognize it at first, but white makes crucial errors that allow me to mate.

1. g4	First error, as you'll see in the following moves. It would have been better to move a different pawn, because this pawn being moved two spaces forward is one of the aspects of the Fool's Mate. If the pawn had moved one space instead of two, it would have protected the h4 square and White would have avoided mate.
	1 comment dmaestro (1644) on 25-Dec-14: Not an error at all if white plays properly.


1... d5 2. Nf3 Bxg4	Taking the unprotected pawn
	1 comment dmaestro (1644) on 25-Dec-14: White should have played Bg2! If then ... Bxg4 ?!, c4!


3. Nd4 e5	Threatening the knight



4. f3	Second error. Mate is inevitable unless White either protects h4 (to prevent my Queen from moving there) or f2 (in order to interpose) or moves a pawn in front of the king to allow it to escape check.



4... Bd7	I didn't recognize the Fool's Mate at first because it's been so long, but then I recognize it two moves after this.
	1 comment cplusplus11 (1704) on 16-Dec-14: Pattern recognition is important, but you won't miss another winning move if you consider all checks, captures, and threats.


5. c3	White forgets to move the knight out of danger



5... exd4 6. cxd4	Exchange complete. Mate on the next move.



6... Qh4#	Mate. White made several crucial errors in this (short) game.