Answers.Body: <p>You can NOT cause a mate in 3 or 2 or any low number.</p>
  <p>If the other player is truly stupid or messing with you then it might be possible to mate in 2 for black but white to do it would take 2½</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2020-07-04T01:06:49.317Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: chessie
Answers.Body: <p>There is a two-move mate: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool&#39;s_mate" rel="nofollow"><em>Fool's Mate</em></a>. However, it requires White to be, as the name implies, extremely foolish!</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1.g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4#
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>As you can see, this mate relies on White advancing pawns without any regard for his King's safety. There's no way to <em>force</em> a two move checkmate (if there were, Chess would be an awfully boring game!).</p>
  
  <p>As to whether it's ever occurred in real (master) play, I can't find any record of it, though the Wikipedia article mentions Teed vs. Delmar, 1896, where a very similar mate is delivered a few moves later.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: In her final round Gibralter Masters game, Hou Yifan attempted something like this as white, however black did not play 1. e5. Read about that infamous game/story for instance here: https://chessbase.in/news/gibhou/
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-08-06T01:25:05.037Z
Answers.Text: I remember teaching someone to play and the first game we played was exactly this series of four moves.  It was surreal.
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-08-04T15:45:36.633Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Henry Keiter
Body: <p>I know how to cause a checkmate in three moves. Are there any better ones? I've been told that  there is a two move one but, I have never found someone who can do it. Is it just a legend that has happened once or twice?</p>
  
Tags: <checkmate><history>
Title: Is there any better play than the 3-move mate?
ThreadText: # Is there any better play than the 3-move mate?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-04)
  
  I know how to cause a checkmate in three moves. Are there any better ones? I've been told that there is a two move one but, I have never found someone who can do it. Is it just a legend that has happened once or twice?
  
  **Tags:** checkmate, history
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2014-08-04. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  There is a two-move mate: the [*Fool's Mate*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool's_mate). However, it requires White to be, as the name implies, extremely foolish!
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1.g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4#
  
  ```
  
  As you can see, this mate relies on White advancing pawns without any regard for his King's safety. There's no way to *force* a two move checkmate (if there were, Chess would be an awfully boring game!).
  
  As to whether it's ever occurred in real (master) play, I can't find any record of it, though the Wikipedia article mentions Teed vs. Delmar, 1896, where a very similar mate is delivered a few moves later.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: I remember teaching someone to play and the first game we played was exactly this series of four moves.  It was surreal.  
  > **username_3**: In her final round Gibralter Masters game, Hou Yifan attempted something like this as white, however black did not play 1. e5. Read about that infamous game/story for instance here: https://chessbase.in/news/gibhou/  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2020-07-04. Score: 1
  
  You can NOT cause a mate in 3 or 2 or any low number.
  
  If the other player is truly stupid or messing with you then it might be possible to mate in 2 for black but white to do it would take 2½
  
  
  ---
  
  