FIDE SURVEYS – Miguel Illescas

1

Miguel Illescas:

Fool's Mate

Knowledge of the basic mate structures is
essential to improve your play. This article is
intended to help players in the range 1600-2200
elo rating.
One of the best known mates which at the same
time is one of the less appreciated is the Fool's mate.
Every beginner learns this mate when he starts to
play chess. The reason behind the name becomes
quite clear when we realize how it appears on the
board:

1.f3? e5 2.g4?? Dh4#
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+kvlntr0
9zppzpp+pzpp0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-zp-+-0
9-+-+-+Pwq0
9+-+-+P+-0
9PzPPzPP+-zP0
9tRNvLQmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
White has weakened the e1-h4 diagonal decisively
and immediately receives his punishment.
Of course, this is the fastest check mate in a chess
game, and therefore White must certainly be quite
mad to allow his position to collapse in only two
moves.
In fact, in my 5-million game database, I have only
found four games with this sequence of moves, so
one could easily question the practical utility of
knowing this mate. However, experience shows us
that chess knowledge must never be underestimated.
Let's take a look at a game I played against the great
champion Gary Kasparov:

Dutch Defence

1.d4 f5 2.Lg5 h6 3.Lh4 g5 4.Lg3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvlntr0
9zppzppzp-+-0
9-+-+-+-zp0
9+-+-+pzp-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-vL-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy

It seems that White has allowed his bishop to be
shut in. Of the 244 games that arrived at this
position, in none less than 18 Black was too
ambitious and fell straight into the following well-
known opening trap:
4...f4? 5.e3! fg3?? 6.Dh5 mate
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvlntr0
9zppzppzp-+-0
9-+-+-+-zp0
9+-+-+-zpQ0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-zP-zp-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRN+-mKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
And here we have it: the Fool's Mate. By the way,
two of the games in my database ended in mate. Of
course in the other two games Black played 5...Sf6
but after 6.ef4 White has already won a pawn. The
correct continuation is to defend the mate with
4...Sf6 5.e3 d6 as in Kasparov-Illescas, Dos
Hermanas 1996, which finished in 52 moves.
There are other cases in which an oversight can lead
to a quick Fool's ending:

Bird Opening

1.f4 e5!? 2.fe5 d6 3.ed6 Ld6
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+ntr0
9zppzp-+pzpp0
9-+-vl-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPPzPP+PzP0
9tRNvLQmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
The From gambit, clearly the most aggressive line
against the Bird. Black's threat is so obvious that
White missed it in only 1 out of 1.650 games:
4.Sc3?? Dh4 5.g3 Lg3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+k+ntr0
9zppzp-+pzpp0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-wq0
9+-sN-+-vl-0
9PzPPzPP+-zP0
9tR-vLQmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Personally, I would have captured on g3 with the
queen but in any case White resigned. Naturally, the

FIDE SURVEYS – Miguel Illescas

2

correct move was 4.Sf3, protecting the vital h4
square, after which Black obtains good
compensation in exchange for the sacrificed pawn,
both, in the aggressive 4...g5, as in the slow 4...Sf6
or 4...Lg4 variations.
Generally, when the queen gets to h5 (or h4 for
Black) the attack becomes very strong. I recall a
theoretical discussion from my junior years:

Owen Defence

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Lb7 3.Ld3 f5?
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvlntr0
9zplzppzp-zpp0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+-zPP+-+0
9+-+L+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
This reckless move is currently considered to be
refuted but years ago the assessment wasn't so clear
and we can find 109 games in the database.
Nowadays, theory has established that the modest
3...e6 is much better.
4.ef5!
Surprisingly, White only plays this energetic move
that sacrifices his rook on h1, in 63 games. The
following moves are forced.
4...Lg2 5.Dh5 g6 6.fg6 Lg7!
There are four games with 6...Sf6? 7.gh7 Sh5
8.Lg6# including one published in Greco's 1620
book and a more recent one played in 2009; 389
years later the Fool's mate makes a comeback!
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9zp-zppzp-+P0
9-zp-+-+L+0
9+-+-+-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPlzP0
9tRNvL-mK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Let's return to the main line. We can see that in
spite of Black's ingenious defense, White's attack
quickly becomes devastating:
7.gh7 Kf8

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-mkntr0
9zp-zppzp-vlP0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+Q0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+L+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPlzP0
9tRNvL-mK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black hopes that after 8.hg8D Kg8 9.Dg4 Lh1 the
compensation for the exchange will be insufficient,
but White has a much stronger reply.
8.Sf3!
The knight joins the attack without paying attention
to the smaller details, such as the rook that is now
being sacrificed. Certainly, after 8...Lh1 9.Se5 Le5
10.de5, with the idea Lh6, White will mate quickly.
Therefore, first Black brings his knight into play.
8...Sf6 9.Dg6!
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-mk-tr0
9zp-zppzp-vlP0
9-zp-+-snQ+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+L+N+-0
9PzPP+-zPlzP0
9tRNvL-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
And now the black bishop must choose the piece it
prefers to capture. If it captures the knight, the rook
that we had left dying joins the attack via g1, for
example: 9...Lf3 10.Tg1 Th7 11.Dg3, and White
recovers the material by force, and has a better
position: 11...Le4 12.Le4 Se4 13.Df3 Kg8 14.De4
Sc6 15.d5 Sa5 16.Sc3, with a huge advantage.
Therefore, finally Black has to act in a consequent
way and capture the rook but he will soon find
himself in a mating net.
9...Lh1 10.Lh6! Th7
If 10...Lh6 11.Dh6 Kf7 12.Sg5 Ke8 13.Lg6 mate.
11.Sg5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-mk-+0
9zp-zppzp-vlr0
9-zp-+-snQvL0
9+-+-+-sN-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+L+-+-0
9PzPP+-zP-zP0
9tRN+-mK-+l0
xiiiiiiiiy
The following sequence is forced.

FIDE SURVEYS – Miguel Illescas

3

11...Lh6 12.Sh7 Sh7 13.Dh6 Kf7 14.Dh7 Ke6
15.Dg6 Kd5 16.Sc3 Kd4 17.Dg5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-+-+0
9zp-zppzp-+-0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-wQ-0
9-+-mk-+-+0
9+-sNL+-+-0
9PzPP+-zP-zP0
9tR-+-mK-+l0
xiiiiiiiiy
and obviously with his king stranded in the center
Black receives mate on the next move.
After considering the previous examples we might
think that the ideas derived from the Fool's Mate can
only be applied in marginal opening lines but this is
not true.

Let us transport ourselves to an emblematic city,
Linares, with two world class Grand Masters and
one of the most solid and respectable openings, the
Caro-Kahn.
The Fool's Mate decided to make an appearance in
such a magnificent event:

Caro-Kann Defence

Nunn J. : Georgiev K.
Linares 1988

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Sc3 de4 4.Se4 Sd7
Black prepares the development of the other knight
avoiding the doubled pawns that would arise after
4...Sf6 5.Sf6.
5.Sg5!?
An interesting idea that became popular precisely in
the eighties. White plans ahead of his opponent and
makes it clear that he doesn't want an exchange of
knights. Also, moving to g5 hinders the
development of the c8 bishop, as the attack on f7
will force Black to advance his pawn to e6.
5...h6?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvlntr0
9zpp+nzppzp-0
9-+p+-+-zp0
9+-+-+-sN-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
It is highly probable that Georgiev missed his

opponent's reply. Normal development was correct,
for example 5...Sgf6. Now White plays a nice move,
under the shadow of the Fool's Mate.
6.Se6!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvlntr0
9zpp+nzppzp-0
9-+p+N+-zp0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Here is the key. The knight can't be touched because
of the mate on h5.
6...Da5?
Mistakes come in pairs, as Black tries to justify his
previous oversight. More sensible was 6...Db6,
although after 7.Sf8 Kf8 White enjoys a
comfortable advantage with his pair of bishops in an
open position.
7.Ld2 Db6
Thanks to the check Black now attacks the d4 and
b2 pawns, as well as the knight, but Nunn doesn't
seem to be too worried and calmly continues his
development.
In his turn Georgiev, clearly affected by the course
the game has taken, turns mad and decides to
eliminate the enemy knight at a stroke, omitting an
elemental reply.
8.Ld3!? fe6?? 9.Dh5! Kd8 10.La5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lmk-vlntr0
9zpp+nzp-zp-0
9-wqp+p+-zp0
9vL-+-+-+Q0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+L+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black has saved his King but lost his queen. An
unbelievable ending to a top-level game

Precisely 1988 was my first time playing in the
great Linares tournament, so I was there when the
battle-hardened Bulgarian, after putting up a useless
resistance, finally resigned on move 42. After the
round had finished, as the last players and spectators
abandoned the playing hall, the Fool's happy
laughter could still be heard behind the stage ...