The four-move checkmate
Every child meets this one, usually on the receiving end. It is worth teaching from both sides — the trick, and the single move that kills it.
The 4 move checkmate, move by move
- White opens with the king's pawn to e4; Black answers e5.
- White's bishop goes to c4, aiming at f7.
- White's queen goes to h5, aiming at f7 as well. Two attackers now.
- Black does not defend, and the queen takes on f7. Mate.
Why f7
At the start of the game f7 (and f2 for White) is defended by the king and nothing else. It is the weakest square on the board, and almost every beginner trap aims at it.
The defence
The knight to f6 answers everything: it attacks the white queen and guards the mating square at the same time. A child who learns that one move stops the trick permanently — and gets a free tempo when the queen has to retreat.
Should you teach the attack?
Show it, then show the defence in the same session. A child who only learns the attack will play it in every game for months and stop improving, because it teaches nothing about the rest of chess. A child who learns the defence gains something permanent.
Related
Let them practise it on a real board
- Eight mate-in-one puzzles, then real games against four opponents
- Endgame drills include the rook-and-king mate step by step
- No timers and no lives — a wrong move costs nothing