Drills - Two Bishop mate

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marcuscooperuk

I've just taken up chess within the pass couple of weeks and, of course, I aren't very good. Really do like the site with it's wealth of information and have taken a particular interest in the drills. From the checkmates, I've successfully mastered the 2 rook, queen and rook mates. However I am finding the 2 bishop mate an extremely difficult task, virtually impossible. I try, fail and have another go. My obsession is causing much frustration. Should I just leave it for now? Did anyone else find this a difficult task as a beginner?

Slow_pawn

Hey, marcuscooperuk, and welcome happy.png

When the two bishops are side by side like this they control a lot of squares and box the king in. As you can see the enemy king only has 6 squares that he can move to.  What you have to do is keep making the area the king can move smaller, and with the help of your king force him into a corner and deliver checkmate. Easier said than done, and if you're not careful you will stalemate them, but it's pretty easy once you get it down. ChessNetwork on YouTube explains it better than me. Here is the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uimbIq9h_7A

 

Sqod

Slow_pawn has good advice. This is quite an easy mate, and you don't have to even know any specifics other than keep the bishops controlling adjacent diagonals and gradually push the enemy king toward the corner with all three of your pieces. (Plus the obvious: don't lose one of your bishops, don't cause a stalemate, and if you need to lose a tempo then shift one of your bishops along its controlled diagonal.) Below are some examples from Pandolfini where the bishops have already corralled the king to the edge and/or corner. For the full procedure, see this thread:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/endgames/how-to-cm-with-two-bishops

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(p. 30)
ENDGAME 12

W: Kc7, Bb4, Bb3 B: Ka6
White moves and wins

The Bishop Roll

 

 

 

 

 


Even as Rooks can occupy adjacent rows and drive the King to
the edge by alternate checks, so can bishops, more or less. Yes,
they need help from their King, whereas Rooks do not. And
true, it takes a little longer, but nevertheless mate is forced in
the corner.


1. Bc4+ Ka7
2. Bc5+ Ka8
3. Bd5 mate
      (1-0)

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(p. 31)
ENDGAME 13

W: Kc6, Be6, Bf6 B: Kb8
White moves and wins

Positioning the King

 

 

 

 

 


Before dealing mate, White must prevent Black's escape by 1.
Kb6. After 1. . . . Ka8, White declines seizure of the adjacent
leftward diagonal (2. Be5), which would result in stalemate. The
dark-square Bishop may occupy the b8-h2 diagonal only after
black [sic] has played his King to b8. A waiting move shifts the
tempo to Black. This means shifting either Bishop to safe
squares along diagonals each already controls (the c8-h3 diago-
nal for the light-square Bishop, and the d8-h4 diagonal for its
dark-square partner). With 1. Kb6 Ka8, White temporizes 2.
Be7, and after 2. . . . Kb8, the Bishops slide into mating mode
3. Bd6+ Ka8 4. Bd5 mate.

 



1. Kb6 Ka8
2. Be7 Kb8
3. Bd6+ Ka8
4. Bd5 mate
      (1-0)

Pandolfini, Bruce. 1988. Pandolfini's Endgame Course. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.

Monie49
Keep in mind that it is rare that you will have 2 bishops against the lone king.
MickinMD

Note that the "Two Bishops Mate" is technically the two Bishops on adjacent, parallel diagonals.

There's another mate with two Bishops where they are on intersecting diagonals called Boden's Mate, though I think it always requires a couple extra pieces on the board. Here's a crude example:

 

marcuscooperuk

Thanks for all your advice boys and girls. Still haven't managed, but will take on this advice moving forward.