FoxyChess › Checkmates › Morphy's Mate
Morphy's Mate
Named after Paul Morphy. A bishop mates the cornered king along the long diagonal while a rook controls the file next to it. The king's own pawn blocks the last escape square.
How to spot it
When you have a rook on the g-file (or b-file) and an open long diagonal, a bishop check into the corner can be decisive.
How it arises
The king is in the corner behind an h-pawn, the g-file has opened (usually after a g-pawn capture) and a bishop can reach the long diagonal. A rook on the g-file does the rest.
A worked example
1.Bc3#. The rook on g1 covers the g-file, the pawn on h7 blocks the king, and the bishop's check along the long diagonal is mate.
How to defend against it
If the g-file opens in front of your king, don't let an enemy rook have it, and block the long diagonal with a pawn or piece.
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