checkmate


Do you know the name of this mate, Shane? It has one, you know.
If it really is White to move here, I guess this particular variation of it must have gone something like:
1. e4 e6 2. Bc4 h6 3. Qh5 e5, right?

this move is really famous among newbies (like me!). i still use this move sometimes against really hard-core noobs!

It's called the Scholar's Mate; usually after a sequence more like 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6 4.Qxf7++.
Obviously black has to be a very weak player to allow it to happen. Not really an opening you want to aim for.

h5 is a little trickier because it is harder to refute. It attacks a pawn, and can win a pawn if Black decides to gambit it.

Yep, the scholar's mate is (very) slightly more usable than the fool's mate which is mate the with fewest moves possible; two for black, three for white. And can be actually be tried on special occasions without your opening suffering too much. (Murphy - Count Isoyard game is a brilliant example)
Fool's mate 1. f3/f4 - e6/e5
2. g4 - Qh4#