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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.

I recently discovered on my review video on the Chessnut EVO prototype (https://adventuresofachessnoob.com/2023/06/22/chessnut-evo-prototype-online-play-test-chess-com-lichess-and-chess-kid/) that you can play on chess.com as a guest without an account at all. Last week, my browser was logged out of chess.com for some reason and I ended up playing a game as an anonymous user.

My opponent might have been someone earlier on their chess journey and I won this game by checkmate in 8 moves! This game demonstrates an opening checkmate pattern to know, especially where the opponent delays developing their king’s pawn in the opening.

In this game, my opponent played some slow, single step queenside pawn moves. In fact, they ONLY played pawn moves! The pattern is below.

This can happen in a variety of non-king’s pawn openings – for instance, I’ve managed to get this in the the Queen’s Pawn Opening-Englund Gambit, as well as the Caro-Kann Defense. Although most beginners will see through a Scholar’s Mate type attack, this pattern is more difficult to see.

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/7522efee-2d3e-11ee-ab9a-f8d10d01000f

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.07.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Secret Chess Noob"]
[Black "Guest8974725728"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1403"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[BlackElo "800"]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "Guest0396736705 won by checkmate"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/7522efee-2d3e-11ee-ab9a-f8d10d01000f"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackCountry "225"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:09:58.1][%timestamp 19]} 1... d6 {[%clk 0:09:56.3][%timestamp 37]
Pirc Defense} 2. d4 {[%clk 0:09:56][%timestamp 21]} 2... c6 {[%clk
0:09:55.4][%timestamp 9]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:09:50.3][%timestamp 57] Somewhat odd
move - this is now like the Caro-Kann Defense, but where Black has lost a point
of tempo [+0.9]} 3... d5 {[%clk 0:09:54][%timestamp 14]} 4. Nf3 {[%clk
0:09:17.1][%timestamp 332]} 4... dxe4 {[%clk 0:09:47.5][%timestamp 65]} 5. Nxe4
{[%clk 0:09:14.9][%timestamp 22]} 5... b6 $2 {[%clk 0:09:43.7][%timestamp
38][%c_effect b6;square;b6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g8f6;keyPressed;none;from;g8;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false] Very unclear what
Black is trying to do... [+2.4]} 6. Bc4 {[%clk 0:09:00.6][%timestamp 143]
Setting up the attack on f7} 6... c5 $2 {[%clk 0:09:41.3][%timestamp 24][%c_effect
c5;square;c5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Another slow pawn move [+5.5]} 7. Ne5
{[%clk 0:08:56.5][%timestamp 41] Setting up a checkmate threat $1} 7... cxd4 $4
{[%clk 0:09:34.9][%timestamp 64][%c_effect
d4;square;d4;type;Blunder;persistent;true] This is a checkmate pattern that
might be more difficult to see... Black blunders [+M1].} 8. Bxf7# {[%clk
0:08:55.1][%timestamp 14][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Winner,e8;square;e8;type;CheckmateBlack][%c_arrow
e5d7;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false,e5f7;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false,f7e8;keyPressed;none;from;f7;opacity;0.8;to;e8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false,d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false,e8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e8;persistent;false]
GG $1} 1-0