Week 11 answer key: First openings

Lesson plan · Worksheet · Large print · Answer key · 12-week syllabus

  1. ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8

    1. Qh4#

    Qh4#. White weakened the king with f3 and g4: Fool’s Mate.

    Hint, if needed: Use your queen, with a check.

  2. ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♞︎♜︎a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    2. Qxf7#

    Qxf7#, protected by the bishop: Scholar’s Mate. Black should have defended with ...g6 or ...Qe7.

    Hint, if needed: Use your queen, with a check.

  3. ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8

    3. Nxe5

    Nxe5. Bxf2+ would be taken back by the king.

    Hint, if needed: Use your knight, to make a capture.

  4. ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    4. Qh5#

    Qh5#. Black opened the diagonal to the king with f6 and g5.

    Hint, if needed: Use your queen, with a check.

  5. ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    5. Qxe5#

    Qxe5#. The king has no safe square: an early king walk is dangerous.

    Hint, if needed: Use your queen, with a check.

  6. ♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8

    6. Nf3#

    Nf3#. White grabbed pawns and left the king boxed in (the Blackburne Shilling trap).

    Hint, if needed: Use your knight, with a check.

The worked example's answer is on the worksheet. Every answer is checked move by move with chess.js. ChessTeacher.org · 12-week course, week 11