Editing Fool's mate (section)

==History==
Fool's mate was named and described in ''The Royal Game of Chess-Play'', a 1656 text by [[Francis Beale (writer)|Francis Beale]] that adapted the work of the early chess writer [[Gioachino Greco]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Beale |first=Francis |title=The Royall Game of Chesse-Play |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101075891802&view=2up&seq=15 |date=29 August 2021 }} p. 17, .pdf p. 49.</ref>

Prior to the mid-19th century, there was not a prevailing convention as to [[White and Black in chess history|whether White or Black moved first]]; according to Beale, the matter was to be decided in some prior contest or decision of the players' choice.<ref>Beale 1656, p. 10 (.pdf p. 42).</ref> In Beale's example, Black was the player to move first, with each player making two moves to various squares or "houses", after which White achieved checkmate.

{{quote|text=''The Fooles Mate''<br />
Black Kings Biſhops pawne one houſe.<br />
White Kings pawne one houſe.<br />
Black kings knights pawne two houſes<br />
White Queen gives Mate at the contrary kings Rookes fourth houſe
|title=Beale, ''The Royall Game of Chesse-Play''<ref>Beale 1656, p. 17 (.pdf p. 49).</ref>}}

Beale's example can be paraphrased in modern terms where White always moves first, algebraic notation is used, and Black delivers the fastest possible mate after each player makes two moves: 1.f3 e6 2.g4 Qh4{{chessAN|#}}