Checkmate patterns
Double bishop mate
Two bishops on adjacent diagonals mate a king blocked by its own pieces.
What is the double bishop mate?
The double bishop mate uses two bishops on neighbouring diagonals to checkmate a king that is hemmed in by friendly pieces. One bishop checks along its diagonal; the other covers the king's escape, and the king's own army blocks the rest.
Why the double bishop mate matters
It is the cousin of Boden's mate (which uses crossing diagonals) and just as easy to overlook. Training both teaches you to treat a pair of bishops as a finishing weapon, not just two long-range pieces.
How to use it to win
It usually appears after an attack on a fianchettoed or recently castled king whose own pawns and pieces box it in. Line up both bishops on adjacent diagonals aimed at the king and look for the check it cannot escape.
Try an example puzzle
A real double bishop mate puzzle from the app. White to move — find the idea, then reveal the line.
8 
5 
4 
a 
b 
d 
e g h 1 Show solution
1. Bg6#
Drill the double bishop mate on thousands of real puzzles, matched to your rating.