A rook delivers checkmate along the back rank, supported by a bishop controlling the diagonal.

Opera Mate is a celebrated checkmate pattern named after Paul Morphy's famous "Opera Game"—played during a performance at the Paris Opera in 1858 against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard. The pattern involves a rook delivering checkmate on the back rank, supported by a bishop on a long diagonal.

Key Elements

• A bishop controls a long diagonal, cutting off the king's escape.
  
• A rook delivers checkmate along the rank, often after a queen sacrifice clears the way.
  
• The opponent's king is trapped by its own undeveloped pieces.