The romantic tales of a quick decisive victory have evoked the human mind for generations. Something is alluring about an unexpected strike or an overpowering display of force. In Chess, you witness this through miniatures.
These games feature the fastest and easiest checkmates.
How to quickly checkmate an opponent? You will find the answers right here with the fastest and easiest checkmates as the game ends due to fast checkmates.
Chess is unforgiving in some aspects. A perfectly played opening or game doesn’t guarantee victory. A slight slip-up or oversight is all it takes for the game to be over. In the following games, the players fail to see their opponent’s intention and this leads to a quick defeat or a chess miniature.
Fool’s Mate – Two-Move-Checkmate
The Fool’s mate is a beginner’s go-to for winning chess moves.
1.f4
The white king twitches a little seeing the soldier march off like that. Nevertheless, it is not the end of the world. Everything cannot collapse in one move, can it?
1..e6
Black plays a timid move being aware of a quick way to win. Now all that white has to do is to play ‘sensible’ developing moves.
2.e3
Alas! White plays the one ‘developing’ but not sensible move which loses on the spot. The Black queen sensing her moment to score a decisive victory sweeps the board to deliver a painful blow.
2..Qh4#
The White king hapless, all his pieces watching cannot do anything but resign. The king did feel like a fool at the end.
The Fool’s mate is the fastest way to win a chess game. Black finds the checkmate because the diagonal is completely open and there are no exit paths or pieces that can block the check. It is always good to be aware of checkmate moves in the opening, especially the two-move checkmate.
Scholar’s Mate – Four-Move-Checkmate
The four-move checkmate is a deceptive weapon. It has similarities to the Italian game but with an aggressive twist to play for a quick checkmate. It is one of the earliest methods of a quick way to win that a player learns.
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6
The silent maneuvers of the pieces mask the rapidity they possess. The bishop moves to an inconspicuous position and waits for Her Majesty’s arrival. Black in his stride doesn’t sense the danger lurking.
3.Qh5 Nf6
4.Qxf7#
The long-range action of the pieces is never easy for a Beginner. Through trials and tribulations will a player learn the infinite potential checkmates in chess through different piece combinations.
This mate in chess often strikes as a bolt out of the blue for many players. And indeed the Black player felt the same when he watched the queen swing over from the edge of the board to strike at the heart of Black’s position.
Hippopotamus Mate
A quick way to win chess games is by setting traps for the opponent. In this, the Black player set up a sly trap for an easy way to win.
1.e4 e5 2.Ne2
White develops the knight to an odd post. It blocks the paths for the bishop and queen.
2…Qh4
The Queen goes out on a kingside sortie to hope for some weaknesses. First things first Black attacks the pawn on e4 so White has to defend it.
3.Nc3 Nc6
Black calmly continues with his quick chess strategy and gets out a knight.
4.g3 Qg5
White realizes the foolishness of this and pushes away the Black queen with a pawn move. Unfortunately, the weakness of this pawn move comes back to bite white.
5.d4 Nxd4
What a huge oversight by Black! Or is it? The Black queen hangs and the white bishop doesn’t miss a beat to capture the powerful piece. But it’s all over now as the innocent pawn causes the downfall of the white army. And it is Black who has the last laugh!
6.Bxg5 Nf3#
Smothered Mate
This beautiful and satisfying maneuver features many openings. To the victor is it pleasing and aesthetic to perform while for the loser the move itself carries so much shock value that it is nothing but dismay.
It is a good idea to have a firm grasp on this chess trick to win fast as you can expect it at an unexpected time.
The integral part of the smothered checkmate moves is the knight. This pattern is only because of the knight’s unique powers. Even if the king surrounds himself with as many pieces as possible it is not enough to stop this devastating mate.
Legal’s Mate
Legal’s mate is one of the earliest known quickest ways to win in chess. White just plays easy chess moves from the start but finds checkmate due to passive play black.
A chess-mate game so sudden and rich in history that over 6000+ players have fallen prey to it. Everything is normal at the start. Both sides logically bring out their forces and try to outwit the opponent. But Black makes one too many pawn moves.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. Bc4 Bg4?!
4. Nc3 g6?
5. Nxe5
Having developed his three minor pieces White strikes energetically at the Black’s king.
The strike is not without its allure, White offers the queen in the process! Overtaken by greed Black captures the queen shouting Eureka but alas it’s the end of his king.
5..Bxd1??
6. Bxf7+ Ke7
7. Nd5#
An aesthetic quick checkmate in chess that showcases the power of harmony and coordination of the pieces.
Caro-Kann Defense Smothered Mate
Solid. That’s one way to describe this opening. Black is so solid that he can play routine Caro Kann moves and fight for equality. But sometimes one can let down their focus for a moment. Sometimes the danger is not in close but from afar.
1.e4 c6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 dxe4
Black captures the central pawn to get rid of any space advantage for his opponent. But it does come at the cost of tempi.
4.Nxe4 Nf6
5.Qe2
The knight on f6 doesn’t want to capture on e4 and let the queen be in a central position but at the same time, it also doesn’t want the pawn to be doubled after Nxf6 exf6.
5…Nbd7
Black now plays the other knight as a solid means of defense. A routine move in the Caro Kann but it leads to a quick checkmate.
6.Nd6#
The queen and knight combine to deliver a quick defeat to the opponent. The king boxed in checkmate surrounded by all the pieces. It is a well-known mate in chess games.
Italian Game Smothered Mate
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bc4 Nd4
After a standard opening by both sides, Black shows the first surprise of the game with an odd-looking knight jump.
4.Nxe5
White goes into punishing mode for leaving the e5 pawn undefended. He thrusts the knight forward to a commanding post.
4…Qg5
5.Nxf7 Qxg2
Black is unfazed and announces that he’s got everything under control. White recognizes the clear bluff and invades black territory. Tit for Tat says Black and so goes the queen boldly to earn a decisive victory.
6.Rf1
White thinks this move is a good defense to the threat.
6..Qxe4
White misses this check and it’s all over now. How to checkmate now? The Black pieces perform a beautiful dance of harmony to checkmate the white king.
7.Be2 Nf3#
Englund Gambit Mate
Countless. That’s the number of players that have fallen to traps in the Englund gambit. Open lines, diagonals, a jumpy knight, and an overly aggressive queen make this opening a powerful weapon to win easy checkmate games.
1.d4 e5
The initial move of the exotic Englund gambit! Black offers a pawn for a variety of tactical tricks.
2.dxe5 Nc6
White gladly accepts the pawn and forces Black to show his cards. It’s time to play with full force and not waste a single tempo.
3.Nf3 Qe7
4.Bf4
The pressure on the e5 pawn reaches peak intensity. Black attacks with full force and White rapidly deploys his pieces to guard the extra pawn.
4..Qb4+ 5.Bd2
The only move that didn’t lose material.
5..Qb2 6.Bc3
It seems like the Black queen is in trouble. But it’s all part of Black’s tactical plan.
6..Bb4!
A counterpin! This is a winning chess move and now it is white who has to protect his pieces. Well then says the White queen and steps up to defend her compatriot.
7. Qd2 Qc1#
With the will to fortify the front gates, the back gates are left open. The queen pounces on the opportunity and announces checkmate to the lone white king on the back rank. A bravado by the Black queen showing an unexpected mate in chess.
Budapest Defense Smothered Mate
The Budapest Defense is an ambitious attempt by Black to tactically wrestle the initiative from White. It can lead to fast checkmates if White is not careful.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e5
An unexpected strike. Black hopes to achieve a quick checkmate.
3.Nc3 exd4
4.Qxd4 Nc6
5.Qd1 Bb4
Black brings out his pieces with zero waste of time.
6.Nbd2 Qe7
The Queen defends the bishop from afar but also positions itself in a cunning position.
7.a3 Ne5
Black completely ignores the threat to the bishop. Black has a clever piece coordination up his sleeve.
White does everything correctly but falls short due to the desire for material. Like a sniper, Black Queen aims at the top general in White’s camp. One of the most clever chess plays to win in an opening.
8.axb4 Nd3#
As soon as White captures the valiantly sacrificed bishop the knight jumps into the position. The pawn cannot do anything as it dares not move.
Dutch Defense
1.d4 f5
2.Bg5 h6
The Black pawns march forward to earn glory and name for themselves. The bishop moves back to parry the threats.
3.Bh4 g5
The pawns just keep on coming, Now the bishop is gasping for space.
Was this sortie a folly? Perhaps not. The ambitious pawns leave their valuable commander to fend for himself.
The g pawn moves forward and there is no way the bishop can escape now. If the Bishop moves to g3 then the f pawn shuts it off completely and proceeds to capture it..
4.e3
Black perhaps thinks that white has given up on the bishop and is now just trying to continue the game.
But White knows exactly how this checkmate works
4..gxh4 5.Qh5#
As the pawn captures the bishop the queen swiftly moves through the diagonal to end the game once and for all.
We also recommend looking at Top 10 Tactical Tricks Every Chess Player Must Know as well as 3 Hardest Mate-in-4 Ever.
