Boi Variation (Bishop’s Opening) & Scholar’s Mate

Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation

Definition

The Boi Variation is a sub-line of the Bishop’s Opening that arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6. Named after the 16-century Sicilian master Paolo Boi, the variation features Black’s immediate ...c6 with the long-term idea of striking at the center with ...d5 while keeping the position solid and flexible. The line is classified under ECO code C24.

Typical Move Order

The most common sequence is:

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Nf6
3. d3 c6
4. Nf3 d5  or  4...Be7

Strategic Ideas

• Black wants to play ...d5 under excellent circumstances. By playing ...c6 first, the d-pawn will be protected, and Black keeps the option of recapturing with a pawn (after ...cxd5) instead of a piece.
• White, having adopted the restrained d3 set-up, usually continues with Nf3, 0-0, Re1, and sometimes c3 and d4, retaining the typical “Italian” tension on the e-file.
• An early ...d5 by Black often simplifies the position, so some White players switch plans and castle long, hoping to attack on the kingside while Black’s queen-bishop remains hemmed in.

Historical Significance

Paolo Boi (1528-1598), regarded as one of the “Italian masters,” was famous for his tactical skill and endgame prowess. While openings in the 16-century rarely carried the concrete theoretical weight of modern analysis, his preference for flexible pawn structures in the King’s Pawn openings led later authors to attach his name to the ...c6 idea in the Bishop’s Opening.

Example Game

The Boi Variation has rarely appeared in elite play, but it received a moment in the spotlight in the rapid game Giri–Nepomniachtchi, Stavanger Armageddon 2019, where Black equalised comfortably:

Practical Usage Tips

• If you play 1.e4 but dislike the mass of theory in the Ruy López or Italian Game, the Boi Variation offers a subtler route to rich middlegames.
• With Black, remember that ...d5 works best after you have castled or at least developed the light-squared bishop—otherwise White’s central e-file pressure can be annoying.
• Watch out for the Greek Gift-style sacrifice Bxf7+ if you delay ...d5 and leave the f-knight pinned by Bg5.

Interesting Facts

• Because the pawn structure can resemble a Caro-Kann, some authors informally nickname the setup a “Caro-Kann reversed.”
• The move 3...c6 also occurs in the Ponziani Opening; Paolo Boi is credited with early analysis of both ideas, although most of his manuscripts are lost.
• Modern engines assess the variation as roughly equal (+0.10 to +0.20 for White), proving that the modest-looking ...c6 is strategically sound.

Scholar's Mate

Definition

Scholar’s Mate is the four-move mating pattern that targets the vulnerable f7 (or f2) square with queen and bishop. The most popular version follows 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7#. A second route replaces Qh5 with Qf3. The pattern is a staple of beginner lessons and one of the fastest possible checkmates in standard chess.

Core Pattern

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Nc6 (or any move not guarding f7)
3. Qh5 Nf6??
4. Qxf7#

How It Works

• The queen on h5 (or f3) and the bishop on c4 both attack f7, the only pawn that guards the Black king at the start of the game.
• If Black develops carelessly—most commonly with ...Nc6 and ...Nf6—f7 becomes undefended, allowing Qxf7#.
• Any of several simple defenses—2...Nf6, 2...g6, 2...Qe7, or even 2...d6—neutralise the threat and often leave White’s queen exposed to counter-attack.

Historical and Educational Significance

The mating idea dates back to Gioachino Greco (17-century), whose manuscripts featured numerous games ending with Qxf7#. In English-language primers the pattern became known as the “Scholar’s Mate,” underlining its role as an introductory tactic taught to students (“scholars”). Despite its simplicity, the idea has appeared—usually as a threat rather than an actual mate—in master play, most famously in the miniature Harmonist vs. Nimzowitsch, Berlin 1910, where Nimzowitsch parried the idea and won swiftly.

Example Position

Typical Refutations

• 2...Nf6! after 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 simply attacks the queen and develops a piece.
• 2...g6 blunts the queen’s diagonal and sets up ...Bg7.
• 2...Qe7 protects f7 and prepares ...Nf6 without hanging the pawn.

Why It Still Matters

• Even advanced players can overlook a one-move threat to f7/f2 in complex positions. Thus, the pattern is a lifelong tactical motif.
• Coaches use Scholar’s Mate to illustrate:
  • the value of king-side safety,
  • the danger of premature queen sorties, and
  • basic mating nets involving limited material.
• On online servers, speed games under 500 rated often feature thousands of Scholar’s Mate attempts every day.

Fun Anecdotes

• Legend says that former World Champion Emanuel Lasker once allowed a group of amateurs to attempt Scholar’s Mate against him simultaneously; after parrying the early queen check, he won all the games in under 25 moves.
• The pattern appears in popular culture, including the TV series The Queen’s Gambit, where young Beth demonstrates it to a high-school rival.
• In some languages the mate is called “Children’s Mate” (French: le mat du berger, literally “shepherd’s mate”), emphasising its role as a beginner’s trap.

Practical Advice

Do not rely on Scholar’s Mate beyond the beginner level; seasoned opponents know the refutation. Instead, treat it as a learning exercise in rapid development, coordinated attacking on weak squares, and calculation of forcing lines.