Clown King by JimCooper from pixabay

Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Boden Configuration

KevinSmithIdiot

Updated: Feb 18, 2024, 5:19 PM | 3

Back to my favorite topic this year: Trapping Pieces! This time we'll be looking at trapping those clowns more commonly known as Kings, Sovereigns, the Lords of all They survey. Or so they would have you think.
BenLeScure from pixabay.com

Lots of ways to hunt down His Majesty. In the center. In the corner. In the heat of battle.

Most of us are familiar with Boden's Mate. It does occasionally show up on the board. In this session I will be discussing a very closely related configuration of pieces and pawns I have coined the Boden Configuration.

There is one puzzle included as a reminder of the thematic mating position. But the primary purpose of showing that is to set a baseline for a broader context. So most of the material will focus on Boden-like configurations. Essentially some of the key elements of a Boden's Mate are to be found, but one or more ingredients for a thematic mate tend to be missing.

But despite the lack of a mate there may be other loot to pillage, castles to despoil, Kings to overthrow!!

Aye, mate-y. We're looking for hidden treasure!

Treasure Map by Franz26 on pixabay.com

Does this material really matter, you ask? How dare you, I respond!

Okay, decent question. I'll provide a reasoned response. From my research, a valuable, practical aspect DOES exist. That practical aspect is to be found in recognizing and taking advantage of the essential elements of Boden-Like Configurations. Recognition of these elements may offer the opportunity to steer the game in favourable directions. With two preferred outcomes. One, you actually get to deliver Boden's Mate. The other is that your opponent realizes events are steering in that direction and makes concessions that improve your position anyway! Think of it like the eval bar on chess.com. When your opponent makes concessions, then the bar moves in a positive direction for you, and a negative direction for them! Or, worst case scenario, the concessions allow you to hold a worse position.

Five Key Aspects of the Configuration (see diagram):

A. Usually the King finds himself unable to flee towards the far side of the board because His pieces block him. As the Knights and Rooks do on both sides of the board in our diagram below. In some cases a Bishop might replace the Knight, but that is unusual because a Bishop on d2 or d7 also serves to protect the c3 or c6 squares respectively.

B. An enemy Bishop sits somewhere along the diagonal that cuts directly in front of His Majesty and the square next to the King.

C. Given that points A and B above hold, then the King is left with only one flight square. In other words, the only potential flight square identified until now is to "fianchetto" the King on b2 or b7 respectively.

D. But if an enemy Bishop reaches, respectively, a3 or a6 the King will suddenly find Himself bereft of luft. Without air nobody can hear the screams.

E. The same considerations apply on the Kingside, I just didn't want to clutter the board more than it already is.

Lower Left-Hand Corner

The Rook has just captured on c3. Presumably White has no other piece able to capture on c3. The good news in that case is that by capturing on c3 the newly minted c-pawn will vacate the b2 flight square. The bad news? White will never reach that greener field as once the Rook is lifted from the field the Bishop will slide to a3 and deliver final benedictions for His Majesty.

Long live the King, the King is dead.

Upper Left-Hand Corner

This is the prototypical Boden's Mate. Obviously, the Bishop on f5 could be anywhere along the h2 to b8 diagonal EXCEPT for the c7 or b8 squares. Unless some other White piece protects it long enough for mate to be administered from a6. Other than that, the position seems to speak for itself. We'll look at this in our first puzzle!

Schulder-Boden,S London Casual Games

I need this guy's press agent! Although not the first time this mate appeared on the board, it became eternally associated with Boden based on this game.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Note how White's King is prevented from fleeing by the traitors on d1 and d2.

B. You don't have to be the first to have something named after you. Just the luckiest. Except in the case of once in a generation athletes such as Simone Biles. Gymnastics has quite specific rules about naming things.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 1 or 3 (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? If you know this mate, this exercise is a snoozer. Consider it a reminder before moving on. If you don't know this mate, then it may be somewhat difficult the first time you encounter it. After that, cheesecake time! Smile for the selfie and enjoy the taste of victory! It's quick, no time for a video.

Mackenzie - T New York Odds Game (Knight)

Black received the b1 Knight as odds and has managed to retain a two pawn advantage. But Mr "T" is looking troubled here, with furrowed brow and trembling fingers (no gold chains, vest or mohawk haircut though). His Queenside is looking a bit shaky as well and his material advantage is down to two pawns. Subtract some style points for his lack of clergy and no outposts for his chevaliers and there's reason for concern. It's unsurprising the betting sites are shifting the odds to account for a high probability of a White victory at this point.

Assessment: White couldn't have drawn up this game plan any better.

Outcome: Laurel wreaths are presented to the conqueror and lilies to the defeated.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Some preparatory work was required to open a line for the f4 Bishop and eliminate the defender's Queen. But then it was a typical sacrifice of a major piece on c6, directly in front of the enemy King.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 3 (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? The first step is the hardest. From there the snowball starts to roll downhill. Finally, an avalanche of obvious moves result in total devastation and all obstacles are strewn haphazardly about.

KevinSmithIdiot (2006) - PancakeER (983) #1 chess.com

This is the first in a series of three puzzles.

As often done for learning purposes, I am starting near the end of the game. We will work backwards from a Boden Mate variant to the beginning of my attempts to construct a Boden-like configuration.

My opponent had just played 18...Ne5. Find the two move finish.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Pin to win.

B. Respect for the ability of two Bishops to cover so many squares near the enemy King.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 1 (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? We've covered the typical Boden mates with the King closer to the side of the board. But this amounts to the same thing.

KevinSmithIdiot (2006) - PancakeER (983) #2 chess.com

This is the second in a series of three puzzles.

My opponent had just played 16... Qxc3. Help-mate? You decide.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Rooks love open central files when the enemy King is still at home.

B. That Boden Bishop on g5 is a wonderful thing, particularly when given an assist by the Black Knight on d7, actively preventing the Black King from fleeing to that square.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 1 (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? Every move is a check or a capture with check. That tends to simplify the process.

KevinSmithIdiot (2006) - PancakeER (983) #2 chess.com

This is the last in this series of three puzzles.

Now we attempt to put all the pieces together. The Goal: to see how a Boden-like configuration developed and then coalesced into an actual Boden mate. My opponent had just played 14...b5. Clearly I am winning in this position. But I wanted to close this out quickly.

Observations: King in the center? Open the center. Flight squares to the Queenside? Try to control those squares.

What would you have played?

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Cutting off the flight squares is critical when dealing with Kings who are like cornered rats when trapped. They will squeeze through any opening to escape if one is available. And live to fight another day.

Sponchia from pixabay.com

B. Recognition of how my dark-squared Bishops and the placement of Black's pieces confined the King to the e8 square made this an easy situation to face in the game.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 2+ (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? Despite the preparatory work and hints it is still common to lose focus on the critical points, such as controlling the King's flight squares. And for many there are a lot of pieces in this puzzle to put together.

Khudyakov (2266) - Shtyrenkov (2446) #1 Alushta Autumn 3rd

Part one of four problems.

Several elements of the Boden Configuration have been in place for a while.

A. White Knight on e2 and Rook on e1 preventing White's King on f1 from fleeing to the Kingside.

B. Black Bishop on c5 sealing off the b6-g1 diagonal.

C. Black Bishop on a3 with support from Her Majesty. Both a paralyzing pin and a Bishop that cannot be captured because the Queen would deliver a Boden's Mate if a blundering trade took place on h3.

D. Pressure on the f3 square from Black's Queen.

How did Black increase the pressure?

Assessment: Not only the most straightforward move, leading to a material advantage. It is also the strongest move. And results in a rapid mating attack.

Outcome: Mate in 7.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. The Boden configuration enabled additional tactics and effectively paralyzed White's King, Knight, e1 Rook, g2 Bishop and Queen.

B. Pin to win!

C. White was effectively playing without the services of the dark-squared Bishop and a1 Rook. They never had a useful role in the game.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 3 (1=Easy, 5=Hard(

Why that rating? My gut feel is that 21...Rd2 is the move one wants to play. But it would still be moderately difficult for most people not to spend a lot of time looking for a better move. But in this instance the idea of a better move is just a pipe dream.

Khudyakov (2266) - Shtyrenkov (2446) #2 Alushta Autumn 3rd

Part two of four.

White just played Ne4. This directly threatens to dismantle the Boden Configuration by eliminating the Bishop on c5.

How would you have responded?

Assessment: At this point the key elements of the Boden Configuration are disappearing as Black transforms that into a mating attack.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Discovered attacks can be very potent!

B. Protecting the integrity of the Boden Configuration, in this case by retaining Black's dark-squared Bishop, is a key measure of likely success.

C. From the side defending against the malicious mating intent of a Boden Configuration there is an equal or even greater desire to eliminate or block the influence of the key pieces establishing a Boden Configuration. In particularly I will single out the enemy Bishop that cuts off His Majesty's flight squares.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 2+ (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? Black is already down material so trading pieces may not seem the most natural concept. However the higher order need is to retain the Bishop confining the White King.

Khudyakov (2266) - Shtyrenkov (2446) #3 Alushta Autumn 3rd

Part three of four.

White just played 17.Kf1. Boden's Configuration is on full display.

But now what?

Assessment: Create a mate threat on f3! Gaining time to bring more forces into play!!

Outcome: White resigned before making their 29th move.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Traps evolve over time. Here we find Black in mid-phase. Starting to create direct, terminal threats rather than merely establishing the conditions for action.

B. An immediate mating threat often, though not always, takes priority over opening lines.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 2+ (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? The move 17...exf4 has to be tempting, opening lines. I'd call it clickbait. Looks tempting but further analysis reveals it reduces Black's advantage to almost nothing. All three outcomes are alive in that line. Though a draw would seem most likely out of mutual fear of losing.

Khudyakov (2266) - Shtyrenkov (2446) #4 Alushta Autumn 3rd

Part four of four.

We will now visit the origins of this game's Boden Configuration. White just played the obvious h3 to prevent a lethal Queen incursion on h2 and to kick the Knight. Dual purpose! But a mistake.

How did Black respond to this threat?

Assessment: Threat of mate on f3. We'll stop here, having visited the rest of this problem several times.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. Some calculation is clearly useful if time permits, but at any time control there is great usefulness in having a recongnizable pattern, in the case the Epaulette Configuration, to guide your thoughts.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 2- or 3+ (1=Easy, 5=Hard)

Why that rating? If you completed the prior puzzles then you would have had a good sense for the end point you were aiming towards when approaching this problem. So barely a "2" in difficulty, probably a bit less. If you dropped in cold, some extra thoughts would creep in about whether or not Black could just open lines with . ..exf4. From that perspective this probably merits a "3+".

Skembris (2475) - Azis Azizis (2246) Isthmia op 1st

White just played 29.Rc5 attempting to trade off some pieces and relieve the pressure. How did Black respond?

Assessment: White could and would probably play on. But that is solely in vague hopes of a draw.

Lessons learned or revisited:

A. White should have been warier given the Black Bishop on f5 with a White Knight on d2, White Rook on d1, and the King on c1. Perhaps he lost sight of the outlines of a Boden-like configuration because the b2 flight square was open. That changed to a firestorm when White overlooked 29...Be7.

B. The tempo gained by 29...Be7 shook White's game to the core. Suddenly the weak c1-a3 diagonal was an outcome determining factor.

Kevin's Problem Rating: 4+ 1=Easy, 5=Hard

Why that rating? So many, many tempting moves. And the first move, 29...Be7, is involves moving a piece backward. Psychologically we seem primed to miss such opportunities.

Hope you found some treasure in this blog.

licojew from pixabay.com

Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Boden Configuration

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