ChessRanger
Endgame

Bishop-and-knight mate

The hardest basic checkmate — forcing mate with king, bishop and knight against a lone king.

King, bishop and knight is enough to force mate, but it's the trickiest of the elementary mates: the king can only be checkmated in a corner of the bishop's colour, so the defender flees to the 'wrong' corner and must be driven across the board to the right one. The 'W' manoeuvre with the knight is the standard herding technique.

It comes up rarely, but knowing it matters — under the fifty-move rule you have to deliver mate in time, and fumbling the method turns a win into a draw. It's the classic test of pure technique.

Why it matters

It's the benchmark of endgame technique and a real (if rare) full point — bungling it under the fifty-move rule throws away a win you're entitled to.

The mistake everyone makes

Chasing the king toward the wrong-coloured corner, or losing the thread of the W-manoeuvre and running out of moves before mating.

Related terms

Checkmate
The king is in check and there is no legal way out — the game is over.
Corresponding squares
Pairs of squares in a locked pawn ending where each king must mirror the other to hold or win.
Technique
The precise, patient method of converting a clear advantage into a win without fireworks.
King hunt
Driving the enemy king out into the open and chasing it to mate with a series of checks.

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