Bishop & Knight Mate
The hardest basic mate — the king can only be mated in a corner matching the bishop's colour. Learn the W-manoeuvre and the 50-move clock stops scaring you.
What you'll learn
- Why the king can only be mated in a corner of the bishop's colour
- The knight's "W-manoeuvre" that drives the king across the board
- Finishing inside the 50-move limit
The technique, move by move
Every line below is verified against an endgame tablebase — perfect play, no guesswork.
Driving into the right corner
1.Bg6 Kh3 2.Ne3 Kh4 3.Ng2+ Kh3 4.Kf3 Kh2 5.Nf4 Kh1 6.Bd3 Kh2 …
Bishop and knight mate only in a corner of the BISHOP'S colour — here the light h1 corner.
Drive across the board
1.Ne3 Kf8 2.Nf5 Ke8 3.Bh4 Kf8 4.Be7+ Kg8 5.Kf6 Kh7 6.Kf7 Kh8 …
Finish: medium
1.Kf4 Kh5 2.Bb1 Kh4 3.Bg6 Kh3 4.Ne3 Kh4 5.Ng2+ Kh3 6.Kf3 Kh2 …
Drill the Bishop & Knight Mate
Practice randomly served positions and play them out against a perfect tablebase until you convert the win every time.
Open the Endgame Trainer →Related endgames to master
The first checkmate every player must own. Use the rook to cut the king off and walk your own king up to force the lone king to the edge.
King & Queen vs KingBox the lone king toward a corner with the queen a knight's-move away — and never stalemate. The fastest of the basic mates once the technique clicks.
Two Bishops vs KingCoordinate the bishops into a wall and herd the king to a corner. Trickier than it looks and a classic test of piece harmony.
King & Pawn vs KingThe single most important endgame there is. Master the opposition and key squares and you will win — or save — countless games.