Two bishops and a king can always checkmate a lone king — in at most 19 moves. This mate is harder than mate with the queen or the rook, but it rests on a clear idea.
The idea: bishops side by side
The bishops are strongest when they stand next to each other — on adjacent squares of the same rank or file. Then their diagonals form a “wall” that the enemy king cannot cross.
The plan:
- Place the bishops side by side in the centre — they cut off part of the board from the enemy king.
- Bring your own king closer.
- Shift the bishops' wall step by step, pushing the king to the edge and then into a corner.
- Mate is delivered in any corner — the colour of the corner does not matter.
The mating position
Dangers
- Stalemate. A king in the corner is easy to stalemate. For example, with the enemy king on a8 and White's king on b6 and bishop on c7, Black has no moves. Before every move, check that your opponent has at least one square.
- Losing a bishop. If the opponent can take a bishop with the king, mate becomes impossible: one bishop cannot do it. Keep the bishops protected or away from the king.
Practice
On the analysis board, put the kings in the centre and the bishops on their starting squares, and try to drive the king into a corner. If you manage it in fewer than 30 moves — excellent. Then you can take on the hardest of the basic mates — mate with knight and bishop.