Criss-Cross Applesauce See You Later King, You Lost!

The Criss-Cross Mate, Also Known as Boden's Mate, and the Power of Diagonals,...by Ms Jessica Martin, (aka BoundingOwl)

Was chess invented or discovered?  What about certain checkmates?  Did they already exist within the game, or did some smartypants figure them out?

Mr Boden was just one of these smarties.  He created (or discovered) his own checkmate, which, someday you could too!  His checkmate looks like a big X or criss cross, so if you forget the name Boden, you can just call it a criss-cross mate.

Here is what it looks like:

 

 

 

 

Do you see the two diagonal lines making an X?  Which pieces do you think could do the job of creating the X?  (queen and bishop, of course, or two bishops)

 

Notice how one bishop already controls the squares around the king.  Since the king is trapped (almost smothered ) all you have to do is put him into check.  Find a mate in one.

 

 

 

 

Easy!  Sometimes you get to sacrifice your queen for this pattern!  What's the only thing better than a queen?  Checkmate!

Mate in two now!

 

 

Last one for good luck:  A superdupertricky mate in two for you:

 

 

 

Nice work!  Boden would be proud.  What about your own checkmates?  Have you been working on them?  What tactics have you been using?  Stay tuned next Wednesday for even more tricky checkmate patterns to use on unsuspecting opponents!

Tada!