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Evargalo
Evargalo
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No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

Indeed, if White has light-squared bishops then:

  • when the black king stand on a dark square, it cannot be attacked
  • when the black king stand on a light square, it can be attacked but there are at least two adjacent dark squares (more if it isn't in a corner), of which the white king can only deny one : Black is in check but not in checkmate and the king escapes.

For example, in the position (the most White can get) White: Kc2, Bf4, Bc5 / Black Ka1 :

1.Be5 is check but a2 is not controlled: 1...Ka2 and the game is a draw.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study by Alexei Troitsky (thanks to @HaukeReddmann for the reference) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

Indeed, if White has light-squared bishops then:

  • when the black king stand on a dark square, it cannot be attacked
  • when the black king stand on a light, it can be attacked but there are at least two adjacent dark squares (more if it isn't in a corner), of which the white king can only deny one : Black is in check but not in checkmate and the king escapes.

For example, in the position (the most White can get) White: Kc2, Bf4, Bc5 / Black Ka1 :

1.Be5 is check but a2 is not controlled: 1...Ka2 and the game is a draw.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study by Alexei Troitsky (thanks to @HaukeReddmann for the reference) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

Indeed, if White has light-squared bishops then:

  • when the black king stand on a dark square, it cannot be attacked
  • when the black king stand on a light square, it can be attacked but there are at least two adjacent dark squares (more if it isn't in a corner), of which the white king can only deny one : Black is in check but not in checkmate and the king escapes.

For example, in the position (the most White can get) White: Kc2, Bf4, Bc5 / Black Ka1 :

1.Be5 is check but a2 is not controlled: 1...Ka2 and the game is a draw.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study by Alexei Troitsky (thanks to @HaukeReddmann for the reference) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

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Evargalo
Evargalo
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  • 65

No, there is no possible checkmateno possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

Indeed, if White has light-squared bishops then:

  • when the black king stand on a dark square, it cannot be attacked
  • when the black king stand on a light, it can be attacked but there are at least two adjacent dark squares (more if it isn't in a corner), of which the white king can only deny one : Black is in check but not in checkmate and the king escapes.

For example, in the position (the most White can get) White: Kc2, Bf4, Bc5 / Black Ka1 :

1.Be5 is check but a2 is not controlled: 1...Ka2 and the game is a draw.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in thisthis study by Alexei Troitsky (by S.Loyd, I thinkthanks to @HaukeReddmann for the reference) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study (by S.Loyd, I think) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

Indeed, if White has light-squared bishops then:

  • when the black king stand on a dark square, it cannot be attacked
  • when the black king stand on a light, it can be attacked but there are at least two adjacent dark squares (more if it isn't in a corner), of which the white king can only deny one : Black is in check but not in checkmate and the king escapes.

For example, in the position (the most White can get) White: Kc2, Bf4, Bc5 / Black Ka1 :

1.Be5 is check but a2 is not controlled: 1...Ka2 and the game is a draw.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study by Alexei Troitsky (thanks to @HaukeReddmann for the reference) for White to be able to force a checkmate !

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Evargalo
Evargalo
  • 16.7k
  • 49
  • 65

No, there is no possible checkmate with 2 (or more) same-coloured bishops against a bare king. The game is drawn immediately.

If you add a Black pawn, a checkmate pattern become possible. However, it takes 5 bishops (!) in this study (by S.Loyd, I think) for White to be able to force a checkmate !