Two bishops mate
Two bishops on adjacent diagonals force the king to the edge and corner it for checkmate.
Two bishops versus a lone king is a theoretical win, but it requires more precision than a queen or rook ending. The key idea is to use both bishops together to build a 'wall' of diagonals that shrinks the enemy king's territory, then escort your own king close to force the opponent to the corner.
The technique: place the bishops on adjacent diagonals so they cover two complete diagonal bands, cutting the board in half. Then march your king forward. Checkmate always occurs in a corner - specifically, a corner that sits on one of your bishop's diagonals. Watch out for stalemate, which can occur if you are careless when the enemy king is on the edge. Practise this ending until it becomes automatic.
Two bishops drive the king to the corner
White's two bishops on g6 and h6, with the king on f6, are closing in on the black king cornered on h8. The bishop on g6 covers h7 and f7, preventing the king from leaving. The bishop on h6 covers g7 and g5. Together they form a diagonal wall. The next bishop move will force checkmate.
Bg7# - two bishops and king deliver checkmate
The bishop on g7 delivers checkmate along the g7-h8 diagonal. The black king on h8 cannot escape: g8 is covered by the bishop on f7 (along the f7-g8 diagonal), and h7 is covered by the white king on g6. The two bishops form interlocking diagonal walls and the king provides the final coverage. This is the typical final position of the two-bishop checkmate.
Key chess terms
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