FoxyChess › Checkmates › Opera Mate
Opera Mate
A rook mates on the back rank, protected by a bishop from a distance. It is named after Paul Morphy's famous 1858 game played during an opera in Paris, which ended this way.
How to spot it
If the king is still in the centre and the d-file or e-file opens, look for a rook check on the back rank that a bishop can support.
How it arises
A rook reaches the enemy back rank while a bishop on the long diagonal covers the square beside the king. It happens to kings still in the centre when the d-file or e-file opens; Morphy's game at the Paris opera is the model.
A worked example
Morphy vs the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, Paris 1858. 16.Qb8+! Nxb8 17.Rd8#. The bishop on g5 covers e7, so the rook's check is mate.
How to defend against it
Castle before the central files open. A king on e8 with an open d-file and an enemy bishop on g5 is one rook check from the end.
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