Chess is a game of strategy, where players use their mental prowess to outmaneuver their opponents. At the heart of chess lies the goal of trapping your opponent’s king, which is known as checkmate. The beauty of chess is that there are many different checkmate patterns that players can use to achieve this goal. In this article, we will explore the one that often emerges as a result of an impressive attack with many sacrifices.
Boden’s Mate is named after Samuel Boden, an English professional chess master. The pattern is characterized by bishops on two crisscrossing diagonals (for example, bishops on a6 and f4 delivering mate to a king on c8), with possible flight squares for the king being occupied by friendly pieces or under attack by enemy pieces.
Let’s start with the most famous example – the game played by the Peruvian master (later grandmaster) Esteban Canal against an unknown amateur in a simultaneous exhibition he gave at Budapest in 1934. As it contains many sacrifices before delivering the final blow, it is often called the Peruvian Immortal:
Before switching to my favorite database of chess games, I would like to include one more game from the past, as the final pattern is no less impressive:
And finally, a batch of modern examples from the BrainKing database. I won’t comment these games, just highlight the final positions. You are welcome to click through the moves:
In conclusion, chess is a game of strategy that requires players to think ahead and plan their moves carefully. The goal of the game is to trap your opponent’s king, and there are many different checkmate patterns that players can use to achieve this goal. Whether you prefer the classic Scholar’s Mate or the more complex Queen’s Gambit, mastering these checkmate patterns is an essential part of becoming a successful chess player.