Advanced checkmate · 11 of 15
Morphy's mate
A bishop mates the king in the corner while a rook on the next file keeps him there.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 morphy's mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Morphy's mate, step by step
The finish is always the same: a rook on the g-file and a bishop check on the long diagonal.
Bishop check
The rook already holds the g-file. The bishop checks from f6 and it is mate.
Rook check first
The rook checks on the g-file and drives the king into the corner.
Queen sacrifice
The queen takes the knight on f6. When the pawn takes back, the g-file opens.
Morphy's mates in numbers
Counted from the 380 Morphy's mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 750
of our puzzles ends with Morphy's mate.
- 68%
of them are mate in 1.
- 50%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Bishop81%
- Rook14%
- Queen2%
- Pawn2%
- Knight1%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 168%
- Mate in 228%
- Mate in 33%
- Mate in 41%
Good to know
Morphy's mates: common questions
What is Morphy's mate in chess?
Morphy's mate is a checkmate by a bishop and a rook against a king in the corner. The rook holds the open file next to the king, the king's own pawn blocks the square in front of him, and the bishop gives check along the long diagonal.
Why is it called Morphy's mate?
It is named after Paul Morphy, the American champion of the 1850s. Against Louis Paulsen in 1857 he gave up his queen to tear open the pawns in front of the white king, and his rook and bishops finished the attack.
Why does the queen sacrifice work?
The sacrifice forces the pawn in front of the king to capture. Once the g-pawn has left the g-file, a rook check drives the king into the corner and the bishop mates on the long diagonal.
How do I defend against Morphy's mate?
Keep the pawns in front of your castled king together, and think twice before you let the g-pawn be pulled away. If the g-file does open, block the long diagonal or move the h-pawn to give the king a square.