This mate is usually with
two Bishops working together to make a criss-cross. The black-square Bishop
controls a very important diagonal. It keeps Black's King from moving
off the white squares. If only that pesky Pawn on b7 were
gone, White could checkmate with Ba6. This is where the
Queen comes in. White can sacrifice the Queen to clear out the diagonal
a6-c8, and then the Bishop can deliver mate.
The number of times during a game that Boden's
mate is possible might surprise you. Last week, I saw a Boden's mate at
the chess club while I was looking at a game. The players didn't see it,
so the game dragged on. But it was there, waiting to be found. Don't you
miss it next time it comes up in your games!
Here is what the final position looks like:
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