Chess Bishop and Knight Checkmate

In the diagram below, you will see that the squares the King would normally be able to move on are controlled by 3 white chess pieces.

1. The White King controls the diagonal square and the square between the White Knight and the Black King.

Knight and King Cause Checkmate

2. The White Bishop controls the square that the King is on.

3. The White Knight controls the last square available to the Black King.

To say it again: the White Bishop causes the check, and the positions of both the White King and the White Knight cause the Checkmate.

Summary:


A Queen with her King can Checkmate.
A single Rook can cause a Checkmate.
Two Bishops can force a Checkmate.
A Bishop and a Knight can Checkmate.

Further Important Information:


There are chess pieces that will never be able to checkmate.

A Bishop by itself, can not checkmate. The Bishop moves only on one color and the opponent King can always get away. All the hostile King has to do is occupy a space of a different color than the Bishop.

A Knight can not occupy every square that the opposite King can land on. The King can be safe if there is only one Knight. Remember too, that even if there are 2 Knights, they can not force a checkmate, the enemy King can always escape.



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CheckMate with Two Bishops

Bishops

We said in the previous blog "Rook checkmate", that the basic checkmate can only be accomplished  with the opponent King on the side rows. When the Queen or Rook chess pieces are Checkmating, it does not matter which square the King is located on.

But when you checkmate with two Bishops, the King has to be located in a corner of the chessboard. See the diagram.

Bishops Force Checkmate

This is a perfect Checkmate position with the Bishops forcing the checkmate. There is no way to get the King out of check. The White King and the White Bishops are controlling every square that the Black King could move to.

Remember, the Bishop chess piece only moves diagonally. Check out the diagram. One White Bishop has the Black King in check. If the Black King moves to one square, the other Bishop can capture him. If the Black King moves to the other square, the White King can capture him. There are only 3 moves for the Black King, and all 3 squares that he can move to are controlled by the White chess pieces. Review the King chess piece moves.

Results:

The Black King is Checkmated!
Game over!
The White Chess Pieces win!

Next:  Checkmate with a Bishop and Knight chess pieces.


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Chess - Rook Forces Checkmate

King, Queen, Bishop, Knight,
Rook, Pawn

We saw how the Queen forces checkmate in CheckMate - Definitely. Now let's see how the chess piece Rook, forces Checkmate.

White Queen Checkmating

In the diagram you will see a Rook checkmating the King. It is a foolproof position. Look closely to find out why this is so. If, in the first diagram, you replace the White Queen with the White Rook, there is no checkmate. The Black King can move easily away and avoid capture. This is because the Rook can only move vertically or horizontally. If the King moves to a square diagonal to the Rook, the Rook chess piece can not capture the opponent King.

Now we can find out why, in this next diagram, the Rook has the King in a strong checkmate position that the King can not get out of. It is truly Checkmate.

Black Rook Forces Checkmate

The Black Rook has the White King "in check." (Remember, "in check" is not the same as Checkmate.) The White chess pieces can not capture the Rook and no white chess piece can block the Rooks "in check" position. No chess piece interrupts the line of attack.

The White King can not move out of check. Anywhere the White King moves in the last row, he can not get out of the range of the Rook. The White King can not move to the second row, because the second row is controlled by the Black King. There are only 3 squares that the White King can move to in the second row, straight or diagonal. The White King can be captured in all three squares, which are the only moves that the White King can move to in the second row.

Whew! So here we have a definite position of checkmate:
Black won the chess game!


Explanation:
There are basic checkmates, and the vulnerable King (the one to get checkmated), must be forced to a side row.

With the opposite Queen and Rook positions, it does not matter which square the King is on, as long as it is in the side rows. It has to be an outermost row.

But we will see a different situation with the Bishop Checkmate!



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