Can you win chess in one move? This may seem like a silly question, but many beginner players want to know if it’s possible and how to go about doing it.
In this article, we shall look at the practical and theoretical possibilities of checkmating in 1 move, and give some alternatives to checkmating your opponent fast. Read along to learn more.
Why It’s Impossible To Win Chess In One Move?
You cannot win chess in 1 move because there are not enough pieces developed to deliver checkmate against the enemy king. You need at least 2 moves to checkmate your opponent in what is known as the fool’s mate. The moves are 1.g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4 # (checkmate)
At the starting position of the chess game, the pawns are on the 2nd and 7th rank, while the major and minor pieces are on the backrank.
Theoretically, to checkmate the king in one move, black’s g and f pawns would have to be gone from the starting position as well as white’s e-pawn. The position would have to look something like this:
In this theoretical positon, mate in 1 is possible with 1.Qh5#
There are no pieces to block the check nor are there any pawns to defend the king from the Queen check.
The same theme here is present in the Fools mate. In the Fool’s mate white pushes his g and f pawns, thereby weakening the squares around the white king. Note that the 2-move checkmate can only be performed by Black. If white attempts the fool’s mate, he needs an extra move.
What’s the Least Number Of Moves To Win Chess?
The least number of moves to win a chess game is 2 moves. This is known as the Fool’s mate and can only be achieved from the Black side. If you want to know how to perform the fool’s mate, then read along.
The Fool’s Mate In Action
To perform the fool’s mate follow these simple steps:
Step#1: White moves pawn to g4.
This a bad move because white is weakening the squares around his king. In the opening, the pawns are needed to safeguard the white king from threats of the opposing side. A better move would have been g3 instead.
Step#2: Black moves pawn to e5
In order for the 2 move checkmate to be achieved, black needs to push forward the e pawn in order to open up the d8-h4 diagonal.
Black is going to use this diagonal for the Queen to checkmate the white king. Black could have also played e6. This move achieves the same thing, but e5 is slightly better because play in the center is general opening principle.
Step#3: White moves pawn to f3
The final nail in the coffin. White not only pushed one of his king’s pawns, but two. There is now access to the white king which leads to a nasty checkmate.
Step#4: Black delivers checkmate on h4 with the Queen
The king cannot escape from the Queen attack. There are no pieces to block the check nor are there any pieces to capture and remove the queen. It’s checkmate. Game over.
Final Verdict
There you have it. If you ever wanted to know how to checkmate in 1 move, you now know that it is impossible to do so. Nevertheless, you can achieve checkmate in at least 2 moves which is known as the fools mate.
However, one thing you need to keep in mind is that checkmating your opponent quickly can often backfire. Your pieces will eventually be kicked away and you will lose valuable tempo in the opening. Thanks for reading. Hope you learned something.
