Boden's Mate
start
Play from this position
Boden's Mate is a checkmate pattern where two bishops on criss-crossing diagonals deliver checkmate to a king trapped by its own pieces, typically on the castled position.
← All patternsKey ideas
Control key diagonals with bishop pair; Trap enemy king with its own pieces; Deliver criss-crossing bishops checkmate
Strengths
Demonstrates bishop pair power; teaches diagonal control; shows importance of king safety
Watch out for
Requires specific setup; both bishops needed; rare in practical play
Common mistakes
Missing the pattern; Poor bishop coordination; Allowing enemy king escape squares
History
Named after Samuel Boden who executed it in a famous 1853 game. Demonstrates the power of the bishop pair.
Famous games
Boden vs Bird, 1853
Practice it
Teaching this to a group? Free chess lesson plans for teachers and coaches.