Two bishops deliver checkmate on criss-crossing diagonals against a king obstructed by its own pieces.

Boden's Mate is a checkmate pattern in which two bishops, operating on criss-crossing diagonals, deliver checkmate to a king hemmed in by its own pieces. Named after the English chess player Samuel Boden (1826–1882), who executed it in the game Schulder–Boden, London 1853.

Key Elements

• The enemy king—often having castled queenside—is obstructed by its own pieces.
  
• Two bishops attack the king from different diagonals, creating a criss-cross pattern.
  
• The king has no escape, and the checking bishop cannot be captured or blocked.