Bishop Knight Mate 2
Bishop Knight Mate 2
Bishop Knight Mate 2
I want to talk about an endgame today. The mate with Bishop and
Knight is much more complicated than any other mate. About thirty-
five moves are needed to accomplish checkmate. As per Rules of
FIDE, the number of moves allowed for checkmating a lone King is
fifty, therefore, these endings demand precise play.
Here the winning process consists of three stages. First stage consist
that the defending King is driven to the edge of the board; then in the
second stage the attacking side lead the King to into a corner of the
colour controlled by the bishop; and the last stage consists delivering
the mate.
So White plays to activate the King and to move towards the centre…}
1. Kb2 Kd3 {Black will impede the way of the White King.} 2. Nc7
{activating the Knight.} Kc4 3. Ne6 Kd5 4. Nd4 {Now Knight reached
the centre.} Kc4 5. Kc2 Kd5 6. Kd3 Kc5 7. Bh2 {Bishop is a long range
piece and it can control Black squares from a distance also.} Kd5
{Black wants to stay back in the centre.} 8.Nb3 {The concerted efforts
of the King, Bishop and Knight make the enemy King to go back a
rank further. Here we can learn the ways of piece coordination being
carried out among the White pieces.} Kc6 9. Kc4 {White King takes
more squares from the Black King.} Kb6 10. Nc5 Kc6 11. Na4 {Again
Black is forced to give up a rank and compelled to move to the edge of
the Board. Just see the coordination of White pieces} Kb7 12. Kb5 Kc8
13. Kc6 Kd8 14. Kd6 Kc8 15. Nb6+ Kb7 16. Kc5 Ka6 17.Kc6 Ka5
{Black King wants to escape to the centre by moving to b4} 18. Bd6
{Creating barrier to the enemy King, sealing the escape route.} Ka6
{The first phase of the game is over. White brought the Black King to
the edge of the Board. Now the Black King has to be taken to the a1
corner where it will be given checkmate. This method of driving the
King across the board was pointed out by Philidor in 1777}
{The King can only be mated in a corner of the colour the bishop
controls. Of course, the weaker side strives when retreating to get
one of the other, safe corners. It is therefore very important to know
how to drive the enemy King across from corner to the other.}
19. Bb8 {At the same time not allowing the Black King to reach the
corner where White's Bishop has no influence.} Ka5 {It is very
instructive to see how the Knight is coordinating with the White King
and Bishop helping them to lead the Black King to the Black-square
corner. Please see the Knight moves.} 20. Nd5 Ka4 21. Kc5 Kb3
22.Nb4 Kc3 23. Bf4 {Again creating the barrier and not allowing the
Black King to escape.} Kb3 24.Be5 {Narrowing the sphere of activity
of Black King.} Ka4 25. Kc4 Ka5 26. Bc7+ Ka4 27. Nd3 Leading the
Black King to the corner.} Ka3 28.Bb6 Ka4 29. Nb2+ {Knight ends its
manipulation journey started from the square b6 and it will make
itself ready for the final blow of checkmate.} Ka3 30. Kc3 Ka2 31. Kc2
Ka3 32. Bc5+ Ka2 {(Here the second stage ends as the Black King has
been forced to move to the Black square corner. The third phase of
the process started. The pieces should be readied for the ultimate
blow of checkmate.)} 33. Nd3 Ka1 {Black got only two squares to
move around.} 34. Bd6 Ka2 35. Nc1+ Ka1 36. Be5#