Two bishops checkmate
Two bishops checkmate is the ending in which a king and two bishops, one on light squares and one on dark squares, force mate against a lone king, usually in a corner, with the king helping.
One bishop can never mate a lone king, because it only ever controls squares of one color. A light-squared and a dark-squared bishop together cover both colors, and with the king's help they win by force. The process is longer than the queen or rook mates, so it pays to follow a clear routine.
Place the two bishops next to each other so their diagonals run side by side. Together they form a barrier the enemy king cannot cross. Shift that barrier one step at a time toward an edge, and use your own king to occupy the squares the bishops leave open. Once the king is on the edge, keep shrinking its space until it is forced into a corner, where a bishop check with every flight square covered ends the game.
Two dangers stand out near the end. The first is stalemate: a cornered king easily runs out of moves while not in check, so make sure it still has a legal move until you give the final check. The second is a loose bishop. The defending king will attack any bishop that is not protected, and losing one leaves a draw.
A common error is letting the bishops drift apart, which opens a gap in the barrier. Another is leaving your own king behind, since the bishops cannot finish the job alone. Practice from a central starting position until you can mate without hesitation.
It sits close to Bishop and knight checkmate. Bishop and knight checkmate is the ending in which a king, a bishop and a knight force mate against a lone king, which must be driven into a corner of the bishop's color.
A neighboring idea is King and queen checkmate. King and queen checkmate is the basic ending in which a king and queen force mate against a lone king, using the queen to confine it and the king to help deliver the final check.
Also worth reading is Two knights endgame. The two knights endgame is the ending with a king and two knights against a bare king, in which checkmate cannot be forced although it can sometimes arise by mistake.
Endgame ideas like "Two bishops checkmate" are won or lost on small details, which a coach can check in your own games. The first lesson with George Li is where that review starts.
Related terms
Bishop and knight checkmate is the ending in which a king, a bishop and a knight force mate against a lone king, which must be driven into a corner of the bishop's color.
The two knights endgame is the ending with a king and two knights against a bare king, in which checkmate cannot be forced although it can sometimes arise by mistake.
Opposite-colored bishops are bishops that run on different shades of squares, so neither side can attack or exchange the other's bishop, which makes endings with them notoriously drawish even when one side is a pawn or two ahead.
King and queen checkmate is the basic ending in which a king and queen force mate against a lone king, using the queen to confine it and the king to help deliver the final check.
Stalemate is a draw that occurs when the side on move has no legal move at all while its king is not attacked, so the game ends on the spot with half a point to each player.
Guides that go further
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