Beginner checkmate · 10 of 11
The Opera mate
A rook mates from the square beside the king. A bishop defends the rook, so the king cannot take it.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 opera mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
One mate, three settings
The rook checks from the square next to the king. The bishop makes sure the king cannot take it.
King in the centre
The rook mates on d8. The bishop on g5 defends it and covers e7 as well.
Castled king
A rook check sends the king up to h7. Then the rook mates beside him from the corner.
Morphy at the opera
The queen gives herself up on b8 to pull the knight away. Then the rook mates on d8.
Opera mates in numbers
Counted from the 5,954 Opera mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 50
of our puzzles ends with an Opera mate.
- 59%
of them are mate in 1.
- 62%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Rook93%
- Queen5%
- Bishop2%
- Knight1%
- Pawn0%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 159%
- Mate in 238%
- Mate in 33%
- Mate in 40%
- Mate in 5+0%
Good to know
Opera mates: common questions
What is the Opera mate in chess?
The Opera mate is a checkmate by a rook and a bishop. The rook gives check from a square right beside the king, usually on the back rank, and the bishop defends the rook. The king cannot capture it, and his own pieces block his other squares.
Why is it called the Opera mate?
It comes from a game Paul Morphy played in a box at the Paris opera in 1858, against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard. Morphy sacrificed his queen on b8 and mated with a rook on d8, defended by a bishop on g5.
What is the difference between the Opera mate and a back-rank mate?
In a back-rank mate the rook or queen checks from a distance, and the king is shut in by his own pawns. In the Opera mate the rook stands next to the king and needs the bishop. Without the bishop the king would simply take the rook.
How do I spot an Opera mate?
Look for a king on the edge of the board with his own pieces beside him, and a bishop of yours aimed at a square next to him. If your rook can land on that square with check, count the squares the king has left.