Boden's Mate

In Boden's mate two bishops on crossing diagonals mate a king that has castled long. It is usually preceded by a queen sacrifice.

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Start
Pieces
Two bishops
Level
Advanced
Mating side
White
Also known as
boden mate, iki fil çapraz mat, çapraz fil matı

Moves

1.Qxc6+ bxc6 2.Ba6#

1.Qxc6+! sacrifices the queen; Black must take with 1...bxc6, opening b7. 2.Ba6#: the a6 bishop checks c8, the f4 bishop covers b8 and c7, and d7 and d8 are blocked by Black's own pieces.

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How to recognise Boden's Mate

  • The king has castled queenside (c8 or c1).
  • The two bishops control two crossing diagonals.
  • Its own pieces fill d7 and d8 next to the king.

How to defend

  • After castling long, watch the diagonals in front of your b-pawn.
  • Don't let enemy bishops settle on a6 and f4 (a3, f5).
Boden's Mate: the final position

Frequently asked questions

Who is Boden's mate named after?

English player Samuel Boden, who played it in Schulder–Boden, 1853.

Which castling does it target?

Usually a king castled long (c8/c1), though a mirror version can occur on the kingside.

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Similar checkmate patterns

  • Réti's Mate — In Réti's mate the king is hemmed in by its own pieces and mated by a bishop and rook.
  • Blackburne's Mate — In Blackburne's mate one bishop covers g7 and h8 from the long diagonal, a knight supports the other bishop and it mates on h7.
  • Morphy's Mate — In Morphy's mate a bishop checks the cornered king along the long diagonal while a rook cuts off the g-file; the king's own h7 pawn blocks the escape.

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