Opera Mate in Chess: Pattern, Examples and Puzzles
The opera mate is a checkmate in which a rook gives check and a bishop protects the rook, while a pawn or another piece blocks the king's remaining escape. It is named after the game Paul Morphy won in 1858 at the Paris opera against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, which ended with this pattern.
Updated
Opera mate at a glance
Delivered by
A rook (check) and a bishop (protects the rook)
The king
Usually on the back rank, with a pawn or piece restricting it
A rook that can give check along the back rank, and a bishop on a diagonal that points at the rook's square, so the king cannot simply capture the rook.
A king whose other squares are closed. A pawn or another piece beside the king takes away the rest.
The classic picture: Black king on e8, Black pawn on f7, White rook on d8 and White bishop on g5.
The rook is often brought to the back rank by a sacrifice that removes the last defender. Morphy's own game finished with a queen sacrifice.
The worked puzzles below all end with a rook protected by a bishop, although the king is not on e8. The rook-and-bishop idea is the same.
Worked examples from the daily puzzles
Each position comes from a real game in the open Lichess puzzle database and is checked before it is published. Set it up, look for the pattern, and only then read the solution.
Daily Chess Puzzle #7: White to play (rated 996)
White to play. Black just played king takes on h7. It wins a queen, or so it seems. The king is running out of squares. Can you find the winning check?
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00nZE.
Position (FEN): r1b1r3/pp1p1p1k/2n2Bp1/2p1qp2/2B1P3/3P1R2/PPP3PP/R5K1 w - - 0 17
Solution
Rh3+ — White: Rook to h3, check.
Kg8 — Black: King to g8.
Rh8# — White: Rook to h8, checkmate.
Rook to h3, check. The king cannot go to h6, because our rook on h3 controls that square. Black has no choice. King to g8. And now, rook to h8, checkmate.
Why this is the opera mate. Black's king ends on g8. White's rook on h8 gives the check along the back rank, protected by the bishop on f6, which also covers g7, and Black's own pawn on f7 takes away the last square. The king is on g8 rather than e8, but the rook-and-bishop idea is the same.
Daily Chess Puzzle #17: White to play (rated 1100)
White to play. Black just played rook to d3. The black king on a8 is short of squares. There is a forced mate here. Can you see how it starts?
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00LNB.
Position (FEN): kr6/1pR4p/p4R2/n7/P3p3/3rB3/6PP/6K1 w - - 1 39
Solution
Rxa6+ — White: Rook takes on a6, check.
bxa6 — Black: Pawn takes on a6.
Ra7# — White: Rook to a7, checkmate.
Rook takes on a6, check. We give up the rook for a pawn. Black's only move is pawn takes on a6. Rook to a7, checkmate.
Why this is the opera mate. Black's king is in the corner on a8, with its own rook beside it on b8. White's rook gives the check from a7 along the a-file and covers b7, and the bishop on e3 protects it. The mate lands on the edge file rather than the back rank, but again the bishop protects the rook.
Daily Chess Puzzle #24: Black to play (rated 1066)
Black to play. White has just played pawn to b3. The white king on g1 is short of squares. There is a forced mate here. Can you see how it starts?
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00vl5.
Position (FEN): 5r2/p1k2qpp/2n5/2N1p3/2b5/1PP1B3/P2Q2PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 24
Solution
Qf1+ — Black: Queen to f1, check.
Rxf1 — White: Rook takes on f1.
Rxf1# — Black: Rook takes on f1, checkmate.
Queen to f1, check. We offer the queen, and the king cannot take it, because our rook on f8 protects it. White's only move is rook takes on f1. Rook takes on f1, checkmate.
Why this is the opera mate. White's king on g1 is shut in by its own pawns on g2 and h2. Black's rook on f1 gives the check along the first rank, and the bishop on c4 protects it.
Giving check with a rook the bishop does not protect. The king takes it.
Forgetting to check the bishop's diagonal. If a piece stands in the way, the rook is not protected.
Defending: leaving the king in the centre or on the back rank while the opponent's rook and bishop line up. Develop your pieces and castle.
Where does the name come from?
It is named after the Opera Game, played in 1858 in Paris, in which Paul Morphy beat the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, who played together, during a performance at the opera.
Opera mate FAQ
What is the opera mate?
A checkmate in which a rook gives the check, a bishop protects the rook, and a pawn or another piece restricts the king's escape. It usually happens on the back rank.
Why is it called the opera mate?
It is named after the game Paul Morphy played in 1858 in Paris against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, played during a performance at the opera and known as the Opera Game.
How is the opera mate different from Pillsbury's mate?
Both use a rook and a bishop. In the opera mate the bishop protects the rook that gives the check. In Pillsbury's mate the bishop takes away the king's escape squares.
How can I practise the opera mate?
Work through the puzzles on this page, then try the daily puzzles linked below. RankUp Chess, an offline chess academy for kids, has a library of 5,000+ puzzles you can filter by difficulty and theme. It is free to play, with no ads and no subscription.
Related checkmate patterns
Back-rank mate: A rook or queen mates a king boxed in by its own pawns on the back rank.
Pillsbury's mate: A rook gives the mate while a bishop cuts off the king's escape.
Morphy's mate: A bishop gives the mate while a rook and a pawn confine the king.
RankUp Chess is an offline chess academy for kids: 5,000+ puzzles, 10 AI levels and lessons. Free to play forever, one payment unlocks it all. No ads, no subscription.
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