Blackburne's Mate
Two bishops and a knight combine to deliver a devastating checkmate against a castled king.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Joseph Henry Blackburne was one of the finest English chess players of the 19th century, known for his ferocious attacking style and his remarkable skill in blindfold chess. The mate named after him is a celebration of the bishop pair's power. Two bishops, each guarding different colored squares, create a net that no king can escape. Add a knight to the mix, and the combination is lethal.
What Is Blackburne's Mate?
Blackburne's Mate is a checkmate pattern where a bishop delivers mate on h7 (or h2, for Black's attacks) to a castled king, while another bishop and a knight control the surrounding escape squares. The pattern is named after Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841-1924), the English chess master nicknamed "The Black Death" for his ruthless attacking play.
The typical scenario unfolds against a kingside-castled king. One bishop lands on h7 with check (often after a sacrifice to clear the path). The king cannot escape because the second bishop controls a critical diagonal (such as the a1-h8 diagonal from f6 or the a2-g8 diagonal from d5), and the knight controls additional squares near the king.
What makes this pattern distinctive is the use of three minor pieces working in concert. Two bishops and a knight, collectively worth about nine points of material, deliver a checkmate that even a queen and rook together might struggle to achieve in the same position. It is a testament to the power of coordination over raw material.
The historical Blackburne was famous for his aggressive style and his ability to see deep combinations. Many of his games featured brilliant sacrifices leading to mating attacks with minor pieces, and this pattern captures the essence of his approach to chess.
Blackburne's Mate: The Final Position
In this diagram, we see the classic Blackburne's Mate. The bishop on h7 delivers check to the king on g8 (which has been driven there or is on its castled square). The second bishop on f6 controls g7, preventing the king from fleeing there. The knight on g5 (or a similar square) controls h7 and f7, sealing the remaining escape routes.
The king on g8 cannot move to h8 because the bishop on h7 controls that square along the diagonal. It cannot go to g7 because the bishop on f6 guards it. It cannot go to f8 or f7 because the knight controls those squares. It is completely entombed.
Notice the economy of the position. Three minor pieces, no major pieces, and the king is dead. The two bishops cover complementary square colours — one controls light squares, the other dark squares — and the knight fills in the gaps. This is the bishop pair at its most devastating, supplemented by the knight's unique ability to control squares that bishops cannot reach.
Blackburne's Mate: the bishop on h7 delivers check, the bishop on f6 covers g7, and the knight on g5 seals the remaining escapes.
Building Toward the Mate
Blackburne's Mate typically emerges from aggressive middlegame positions where you have maintained the bishop pair and an active knight. The path usually involves a sacrifice to open lines to the enemy king, followed by precise minor piece coordination.
One classic setup begins with a bishop sacrifice on h7 (Bxh7+), forcing the king to take. Then the knight jumps to g5 (Ng5+), forcing the king further into the open. Finally, the second bishop maneuvers to a square that seals the king's escape, often with a quiet move that is easy to overlook.
The quiet bishop move is often the hardest part of the combination to see. After flashy sacrifices and knight checks, a calm bishop retreat to f6 or d5 can feel anticlimactic, but it is the move that delivers checkmate. I always tell my students: the strongest move in a combination is not always the loudest one.
To practice this pattern, look for positions where you have two bishops aimed at the kingside and a knight that can reach g5 or f5. If the opponent has weakened their kingside pawn structure (especially by moving the h-pawn or g-pawn), the conditions for Blackburne's Mate may be ripe. Calculate the sacrifice sequence carefully, paying special attention to where your second bishop needs to land.
Blackburne's Mate FAQ
Who was Joseph Henry Blackburne?
Blackburne (1841-1924) was one of the strongest English players of the 19th century. Known as "The Black Death," he was famous for his aggressive style, blindfold simultaneous exhibitions, and tactical brilliance. He competed at the highest levels for over 50 years.
Does Blackburne's Mate always require a sacrifice?
In practice, yes. Getting a bishop to h7 (or h2) with check usually requires sacrificing material to open the diagonal or deflect a defender. The bishop sacrifice on h7 is the most common precursor, but the specific sacrifice varies by position.
How does Blackburne's Mate differ from Greco's Mate?
Greco's Mate uses a rook and bishop combination, with the rook delivering mate on the h-file. Blackburne's Mate uses two bishops and a knight, with one bishop delivering mate on h7. The mating pieces and geometric arrangements are quite different.
Professor Archer says: Blackburne's Mate is advanced not because the final position is complicated, but because the path to reach it requires deep calculation. The sacrifices, the deflections, the quiet bishop moves — these are the hallmarks of a player who sees three or four moves ahead. If you aspire to play attacking chess at a high level, study this pattern and the games from which it springs.
Quick Quiz
How many minor pieces are involved in Blackburne's Mate?
- Three: two bishops and a knight (Correct) - Correct. Blackburne's Mate features three minor pieces working together: one bishop delivers checkmate, the second bishop covers a key diagonal, and the knight controls additional escape squares.
- Two: a bishop and a knight - Blackburne's Mate requires two bishops, not one. The second bishop is essential for controlling the escape squares that the first bishop and knight cannot cover.
- Two: two bishops only - While two bishops are involved, the knight is also essential. Without the knight covering squares like f7, the king would have an escape route. All three minor pieces are needed.
- Four: two bishops and two knights - Only one knight is needed alongside the two bishops. Blackburne's Mate is a three-piece pattern: two bishops and one knight working in concert.