Scholar's Mate - Avoiding Scholar's Mate

Avoiding Scholar's Mate

Unlike Fool's Mate, which rarely occurs at any level, games ending in Scholar's Mate are quite common among beginners. After 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4, if Black continues 3... Nf6? then White can end the game immediately with 4. Qxf7# (see diagram). However, Black can easily avoid the mate: either 3... Qe7 or 3... g6 defend against the threat. If White renews the Qxf7 threat after 3... g6 4. Qf3, Black can easily defend by 4... Nf6 (see diagram), and develop his bishop later via fianchetto to g7.

Or White might try this sequence of moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qh5 (threatening Scholar's Mate on f7) and now 3... Qe7! (see diagram; 3...g6? instead would be a big mistake, allowing 4.Qxe5+ and 5.Qxh8) and Black is not only safe, but will attack the white queen later by ...Nf6. Black alternatively could have stopped White's plans early on by playing 2...Nf6! instead of 2...Bc5.