Boden's mate is checkmate by two bishops on crossing diagonals, usually against a king that has castled queenside, with its own pieces blocking its escape squares.
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One bishop gives check, the other covers the escape squares, and the king's own pieces block the rest. A queen sacrifice is often what opens the diagonal.
How to do it
- 1Look for an enemy king on c8 with its own pieces on d8 and d7.
- 2Cover b8 and c7 with one bishop.
- 3Open the a6 to c8 diagonal, often with a sacrifice on c6, and check from a6.
For your level
Two bishops on different colours can cover every square around a king. When the king's own pieces block the rest, it is mate.
Check you have it
Pitch it for:
Question 1 of 4
White to play. There is a checkmate in one move — find it.
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Play your move on the board.
Question 2 of 4
Play the moves through. What has happened to the king?
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Question 3 of 4
After the last move, how many legal moves does the mated side have?
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Question 4 of 4
Which black pawn has no friendly pawn on either neighbouring file?
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Common mistakes
- Checking with the bishop while the b-pawn can still block.
- Forgetting that the king escapes to b8 or c7 unless the other bishop covers them.
Questions
- Why is it called Boden's mate?
- After Samuel Boden, who won a game in London in 1853 with this mate, after a queen sacrifice.