Scholar's Mate

The trap every beginner meets once. It works exactly once — and here is how it never works on you again. The lesson is not the trap, it is the answer to it: when your opponent threatens mate, you deal with the threat before you develop. It is also the perfect illustration of "Don't bring the queen out early" from course 1: after the refutation White's queen is badly placed and Black develops by chasing her.

Themes

• mat
• ouverture