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Fool's mate is a special case of checkmate in the game of chess. It consists of the moves (in algebraic notation) 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4#, leading to the position shown. There are a few slight variations on the pattern - White might play f4 instead of f3 or move the g-pawn before the f-pawn, and black may play e6 instead of e5.Even among rank beginners, the mate almost never occurs in practice, but is notable as being the shortest possible game ending in checkmate. Shorter games have occured in the professional world when a player resigns, agrees to a draw, or forfeits due to not showing up.
More generally, the term fool's mate is applied to all similar mates early in the game; for example, 1.e4 g4 2.Nc3 f6 3.Qh5# - the pattern of the simplest fool's mate is maintained: black advances his f and g-pawns, allowing a queen mate along the unblocked diagonal. One such fool's mate was between Mayfield and Trinks (or Masefield and Trinka according to some sources) in 1959 and lasted only three moves: 1.e4 g5 2.Nc3 f5 3.Qh5#.
Even more generally, the term is used in chess variants for the shortest possible mate, especially those which bear a resemblance to the orthodox chess fool's mate. Fool's mate in progressive chess, for example, is 1.e4 2.f6 g5 3.Qh5#