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chess noob Quick Wins! is a series of short videos, to demonstrate very quick wins! As a beginner, you become aware of the Scholar’s Mate and the Fool’s Mate, but neither of these show up in real games. However, there are tricky quick checkmates and wins that occur, even at the intermediate level of chess.

Today’s game is submitted by my prolific quick wins subscriber @shlomo55555. They played the Two Knights Defense against their opponent’s Italian (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6) and get a very clean checkmate on move 13.

The pattern to know is from move 10. My sub advanced their knight (10. Ng4) towards White’s king which had castled kingside. The knight now pressures both the h2 and f2 pawns. Next move (11. Qh4), pressuring the same two pawns with a potential mate threat. White doesn’t recognise the pattern, moves the wrong pawn and hangs mate in 2. Very clean! GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/79039906261

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.05.28"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Tee1595"]
[Black "shlomo55555"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C44"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Ponziani-Opening-Jaenisch-Neumann-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.28"]
[UTCTime "19:06:52"]
[WhiteElo "1027"]
[BlackElo "1049"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "shlomo55555 won by checkmate"]
[StartTime "19:06:52"]
[EndDate "2023.05.28"]
[EndTime "19:10:56"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/79039906261"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/150871839.9bcf525f.50x50o.0f4d072df15d.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "69"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[BlackCountry "75"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:10:00]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:09:59.2]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:09:59]} 2...
Nc6 {[%clk 0:09:55.1]} 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:09:57.8]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:09:52.3] Two
Knight's Defense} 4. c3 $6 {[%clk 0:09:54.3][%c_effect
c3;square;c3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Transpose to Ponziani Opening:
Jaenisch, Neumann Gambit [-0.8]} 4... Nxe4 {[%clk 0:09:40.1]} 5. d3 {[%clk
0:09:50.3]} 5... Nf6 {[%clk 0:09:26.7]} 6. O-O {[%clk 0:09:49]} 6... Bc5 $6
{[%clk 0:09:14.2][%c_arrow
f8e7;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false][%c_effect
c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [-0.3] as White has
d4} 7. Re1 {[%clk 0:09:45.8]} 7... O-O {[%clk 0:09:04.2]} 8. Nxe5 $2 {[%clk
0:09:43][%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A mistake [-2.2]}
8... Nxe5 {[%clk 0:08:21.3]} 9. Rxe5 {[%clk 0:09:41.1]} 9... d6 $6 {[%clk
0:08:18][%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d7d5;keyPressed;none;from;d7;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [-1.2]}
10. Re1 {[%clk 0:09:36.8]} 10... Ng4 {[%clk 0:08:00.4]} 11. d4 $1 {[%clk
0:09:16.8][%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 11... Qh4 $3
{[%clk 0:07:22.7][%c_effect h4;square;h4;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] Mate
threat potentially on h2 and f2 $1} 12. g3 $4 {[%clk 0:08:52.1][%c_effect
g3;square;g3;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
h2h3;keyPressed;none;from;h2;opacity;0.8;to;h3;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h3;persistent;false] Blunders [-M2]} 12...
Qxh2+ $1 {[%clk 0:07:18][%c_effect h2;square;h2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}
13. Kf1 {[%clk 0:08:47.7]} 13... Qxf2# {[%clk 0:07:15.6][%c_effect
g8;square;g8;type;Winner,f1;square;f1;type;CheckmateWhite]} 0-1