Two Bishops and a King vs. King - Endgame
See also:
chess notation.
This sounds and looks like a
tricky situation, but it's actually quite easy to
mate your opponent.
The first step in the
process of mate is to place your
bishops side by side. The motive behind this is to
enclose and
restrict the opponent's
king in a "
pyramidal tomb". He cannot cross the
diagonals of which the bishops cover, nor can he advance and
attack the two bishops. The positioning should look something like this:
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 8
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 7
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | |BK | | | | 6
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 5
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | |WB |WB | | | | 4
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| |WK | | | | | | | 3
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 2
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 1
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
A B C D E F G H
The second step in this process is to push the black king backwards onto the back
rank. How do you do that, you ask? Well, the key to pushing the black king backwards is to have the bishops
zig-zag one square at a time towards the black king, all while the white king gives support. The king is going to be a
protection piece, so you must bring him up so he sits right next to the bishop. It doesn't matter which side, but for this example I'm assuming the king is to the left. Now, whichever side your white king is on, you are going to move the opposite side bishop up one square, towards the white king (to the left, in this case). This is how it should be done:
1. Kc4
Kd6 - White's king will give protection to the bishop soon to be moving on d5.
2. Bd5
Kd7 - White's bishop now forces black's king to be pushed back.
3. Be5
Ke7 - Bring the other bishop up so they can seal the pyramid.
We are now here:
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 8
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | |BK | | | | 7
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 6
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | |WB |WB | | | | 5
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | |WK | | | | | | 4
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 3
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 2
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 1
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
A B C D E F G H
We are going to continue to drive black's king back until he is on his back
rank with only two spaces two move.
4. Kc5
Kd7 - Bring up white's king to protect the bishops.
5. Bd6
Kd8 - Push the black king back.
6. Be6
Ke8 - Bring the other bishop up.
7. Kc6
Kd8 - Bring up white's king.
The
board should look like this:
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | |BK | | | | | 8
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 7
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | |WK |WB |WB | | | | 6
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 5
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 4
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 3
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 2
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 1
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
A B C D E F G H
The third step is to drive the black king in the corner. Remember that you must keep the black king on the back
rank to keep him from getting away.
8. Bf7
Kc8 - White's move prevents black from moving
to e8, thus forcing him leftwards into the corner.
9. Be7
Kb8 - Again, white prevents black from moving
to d8, forcing him leftwards.
10. Kb6
Kc8 - This is an important move by the white king, as it prevents the black king from leaving the back rank.
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | |BK | | | | | | 8
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | |WB |WB | | | 7
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| |WK | | | | | | | 6
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 5
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 4
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 3
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 2
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 1
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
A B C D E F G H
Now it's time to bring your bishops down and force the king into the corner for the
checkmate.
11. Be6+
Kb8 - White brings the bishop down from f7 to deliver check, thus forcing the black king to the corner.
12. Bd6+
Ka8 - Again, the bishop coming down to deliver check.
13. Bd5++ - Bring the bishop down again and deliver the checkmate.
It should look like this:
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|BK | | | | | | | | 8
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 7
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| |WK | |WB | | | | | 6
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | |WB | | | | | 5
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 4
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 3
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 2
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | 1
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
A B C D E F G H
Remember!
There are 3 steps:
1 - Set your bishops up so they are side by side. Get the king next to the bishops.
2 - Drive the opponent's king to the back
rank using a
zig-zag motion with the bishops. Make sure the king supports the bishops!
3 - Force the opponent's king into the corner and make sure he doesn't leave the back rank!