--- title: "Blackburne's mate in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blackburnes-mate.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blackburnes-mate" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Blackburne's mate is a checkmate made with two bishops and a knight. This mate uses three minor pieces against a king on g8." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-attack.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/battery.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-check.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Blackburne's mate in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Blackburne's mate is a checkmate made with two bishops and a knight. This mate uses three minor pieces against a king on g8. Blackburne's mate is a checkmate made with two bishops and a knight, where a bishop checks on h7 guarded by a knight on g5 while the other bishop on the long diagonal covers g7 and h8. This mate uses three minor pieces against a king on g8. One [bishop](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bishop.md) gives check from h7 and is protected by a [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md) on g5. The second bishop sits on the long [diagonal](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal.md), usually on b2, and covers g7 and h8. The knight on g5 does double duty, since it also takes f7 away from the king, and a defender's own piece on f8 blocks the last [square](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md). The pattern is a good reminder that minor pieces can mate without any help from the heavy ones, and that the key is [coordination](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/piece-coordination.md): each piece must have a job. Before going for it, check that the bishop can reach h7 with a capture-proof defender behind it, and that nothing of the opponent's stands on the long diagonal. To defend, challenge the knight on g5 the moment it lands, for example with ...h6 while the h-pawn is still at home, keep a pawn on g7 to block the long diagonal, or move the king off the edge before the pieces line up. Any one of these breaks the coordination the mate depends on. Putting the checking bishop on h7 before the knight is ready is the error to avoid: an unprotected piece next to the king is simply captured. ## Example position White to move plays Bh7, checkmate. The knight on g5 guards the bishop and covers f7, the bishop on b2 covers g7 and h8, and Black's rook blocks f8. Position (FEN): `5rk1/p7/6B1/6N1/8/8/1B6/6K1 w - - 0 1` Compare it with [Opera mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opera-mate.md). An opera mate is a back-rank checkmate in which a rook delivers mate on the eighth rank while a bishop guards that rook and also controls the square in front of the king. A neighboring idea is [Swallow's tail mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/swallows-tail-mate.md). A swallow's tail mate is a checkmate in which a queen stands directly in front of the king, protected by another piece, while the king's own pieces occupy both squares beside it. Compare it with [Pillsbury's mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pillsburys-mate.md). Pillsbury's mate is a checkmate in which a rook checks along the g-file while a bishop on the long diagonal covers g7 and h8, leaving a king on g8 hemmed in by its own pieces. To see how often "Blackburne's mate" or a pattern like it decides your own games, book a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): George Li reviews your games and writes a study plan around what he finds. ## Related terms - [Mating attack](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-attack.md) - [Mating net](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md) - [Smothered mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md) - [Battery](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/battery.md) - [Double check](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-check.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Mating attack in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-attack.md) - [Mating net in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md) - [Smothered mate in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md) - [Battery in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/battery.md) - [Double check in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-check.md) - [Chess terms: Tactics and combinations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)