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In contrast to a king and two bishops (on opposite-colored squares), or a bishop and a knight, a king and two knights cannot force checkmate against a lone king (however, the superior side can force stalemate [1] [2]). Although there are checkmate positions, a king and two knights cannot force them against proper, relatively easy defense. [3]
The bishop and knight mate is one of the four basic checkmates and occurs when the king works together with a bishop and knight to force the opponent king to the corner of the board. The bishop and knight endgame can be difficult to master: some positions may require up to 34 moves of perfect play before checkmate can be delivered.
When the moving piece moves to a square from which it threatens to inflict checkmate on the next move, the tactic is called a discovered attack with mate threat. A discovered checkmate itself is also possible. Less often, a move may discover multiple attacks, as in the first diagram where the knight's departure opens two crisscrossing diagonals.
There are also positions in which a king and a knight can checkmate a king and a bishop, knight, or rook; or a king and a bishop can checkmate a king with a bishop on the other color of squares or with a knight, but the checkmate cannot be forced if there is no other material on the board (see the diagrams for some examples). [53]
Scholar's mate – checkmate in as few as four moves by a player accomplished by a queen supported by a bishop (usually) in an attack on the f7 or f2 square. It is fairly common at the novice level. Smothered mate – checkmate accomplished by only a knight because the king's own pieces occupy squares to which it would be able to escape.
The fact that the position is a double check is necessary in order for it to be a checkmate, and therefore some authors allow it as a pure mate. [f] In the second diagrammed position, Black has been mated by the knight at e3. [1] Every square in the king's field and the king's square itself are each covered exactly once, with one exception.
Philidor's mate, also known as Philidor's legacy, is a checkmating pattern that ends in smothered mate. This method involves checking with the knight forcing the king out of the corner of the board, moving the knight away to deliver a double check from the queen and knight, sacrificing the queen to force the rook next to the king, and mating with the knight.
While king and rook vs. king can force checkmate, king and nightrider vs. king cannot checkmate at all. The nightrider, like the knight, can jump over blockades in closed positions and is good at delivering forks. The nightrider can triangulate while the knight cannot. King, nightrider, and knight vs. king can force checkmate.