Bishop and Knight Checkmate: Some History

Two sixteenth century manuscripts that may have been copied from an unpublished work by Pedro Damiano present the most difficult portion of the checkmate with bishop and knight. Peter J. Monté transcribed the solution in his exceptional book, The Classical Era of Modern Chess (2014), which I reviewed at "Monumental Scholarship". Monté states that his copy of the German Manuscript contains some red ink that makes portions illegible, and that the location of the bishop is uncertain, but certainly on a White square. He states, "[t]his basic mate is also presented in White's Damiano and Carrera" (122). The MS likely was produced in the third quarter of the sixteenth century.

According to tablebases, the initial position is mate in 20. The solution is not perfect, but it is instructive and mostly quite accurate. In the main line (there are variations given), nine moves are less than perfect. The fifth error lengthened the distance to checkmate by ten moves, and was followed by a Black error that shortened the distance to checkmate by nine moves. Only one other sub-optimal move affected the distance to checkmate by more than two moves.

White to move

1.Ng6+ Kh7 2.Bf7 Kh6 3.Bg8 Kh5 4.Ne5

Black to move

4...Kh4

4...Kh6 is given as a variation, which continues 5.Nf7+ (5.Ng4+ better) 5...Kh5 6.Kf5 Kh4 7.Nh6 Kh5 (7...Kg3 is another variation) 8.Ng4 Kh4 9.Bc4 (9.Kf4 is better) 9...Kh5 (9...Kg3 is better) 10.Be2 (10.Bf7+ is better) 10...Kh4 11.Nf6 Kg3 and so on as in the main line. See below at move nine.

5.Kf5 Kh5

5...Kg3 Most stubborn, adding three moves. This is Black's second most significant error.

6.Ng4 Kh4

White to move

7.Bc4

When relearning this checkmate a few years ago, I found two ideas especially helpful: 1) the knight moved in the shape of the letter W, and 2) lead with the knight, follow with the king. Applying these two principles leads to perfect play from this position. See "Bishop and Knight Checkmate".

The move offered in the manuscript leads to checkmate on move nineteen with perfect play.

7.Kf4 Kh5 8.Bf7+ Kh4 9.Ne3 Kh3 10.Bd5 Kh4 11.Bf3 Kh3 12.Bg4+ Kh2 13.Kf3 Kg1 14.Kg3 Kh1 15.Kf2 Kh2 16.Nf1+ Kh1 17.Bf3#

7...Kh5

7...Kg3 more stubborn by one move.

8.Be2

8.Bf7+ better by one move.

8...Kh4 9.Nf6 Kg3

White to move

10.Bd3?

The most significant oversight adds ten moves to mate. It appears that Black's run further from the edge was also overlooked.

10.Ne4+ better.

10...Kh4?

10...Kf2 leads to mate in twenty.

11.Kf4 Kh3 12.Ne4 Kg2

12...Kh4 better by two moves.

13.Kg4 Kg1

13...Kh2 14.Bf1 Kg1 15.Bh3 Kh2 16.Ng5 Kg1 17.Kg3 Kh1 18.Bg2+ Kg1 19.Nf3#

14.Kg3 Kh1 15.Bf1

15.Ng5 leads to checkmate one move faster.

15...Kg1 16.Bh3 Kh1 17.Nd2 Kg1 18.Nf3+ Kh1 19.Bg2# 1-0