Boden's Mate

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Schulder–Boden, London, 1853
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 kd d8 e8 rd f8 g8 h8 rd Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 pd b7 pd c7 pd d7 e7 f7 g7 pd h7 pd
a6 b6 c6 nd d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 bl e5 f5 bd g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 pl g4 h4
a3 bd b3 c3 pl d3 e3 bl f3 ql g3 h3
a2 pl b2 c2 d2 nl e2 f2 pl g2 h2 pl
a1 b1 c1 kl d1 rl e1 f1 g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
The final position after 15...Ba3#

Boden's Mate is a checkmate pattern in chess.

It is named after Samuel Boden, who delivered the first known example of this mate in Schulder-Boden, London, 1853, a Philidor's Defense. The moves of that game were 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 f5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d4 fxe4 6.dxe5 exf3 7.exf6 Qxf6 8.gxf3 Nc6 9.f4 Bd7 10.Be3 O-O-O 11.Nd2 Re8 12.Qf3 Bf5 13.O-O-O? (13.Bd5 is better) 13...d5! 14.Bxd5?? (moving into a forced mate; much better is 14.Rde1) 14...Qxc3+ 15.bxc3 Ba3#, giving the final checkmate position shown in the diagram: the king is mated by the two criss-crossing bishops, and blocked by two friendly pieces.

The same pattern has occurred in many games since, usually, as here, after the losing king has castled on the queen-side, and the winner sets up the mate by a queen sacrifice on c3 or c6. More rarely, the mate can occur, for example, (a) where a White bishop on g6 delivers mate to a Black king on e8, which is hemmed in by a White bishop on a3, and its own queen on d8 and knight on d7 or (b) where a bishop on h6 delivers mate to a Black king on f8, which is hemmed in by a White bishop on c4, and its own queen or bishop on e8 and knight on e7.

Canal–N.N., Budapest, 1934
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 kd d8 rd e8 f8 g8 nd h8 rd Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 pd b7 pd c7 d7 nd e7 f7 pd g7 pd h7 pd
a6 b6 c6 pd d6 e6 pd f6 g6 h6
a5 qd b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 bd c4 d4 pl e4 f4 bl g4 h4
a3 pl b3 c3 nl d3 e3 f3 ql g3 h3 pl
a2 b2 pl c2 pl d2 e2 bl f2 pl g2 pl h2
a1 rl b1 c1 d1 e1 kl f1 g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Position in the Peruvian Immortal after 10...O-O-O??

Perhaps the most famous example of Boden's mate is the so called Peruvian Immortal game, Canal-N.N., simultaneous exhibition, Budapest 1934: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bf4 e6 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Bb4 9.Be2 Nd7 10.a3 O-O-O?? 11.axb4! Qxa1+ 12.Kd2! Qxh1 13.Qxc6+! bxc6 14.Ba6#

12...Ne5 was a slightly better try, but White still mates quickly after 13.Bxe5! (13.Rxa1 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 gives White a won ending after 14...Rxd4+ 15.Ke3 Rxb4 16.Rxa7 or 14...a6 15. Ne4!) 13...Qxh1 (13...Rxd4+ 14.Bxd4 Qxh1 15.Bxg7 +-) 14.Qxf7 Ne7 15.Qxe6+! Rd7 16.Bg4 Rhd8 17.Qd6 forcing mate.