Greco's Mate
A bishop and rook team up to deliver checkmate on the h-file, punishing a weakened kingside.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Gioacchino Greco was an Italian chess player from the early 1600s who travelled across Europe, dazzling opponents and patrons alike with his brilliant attacking play. The mating pattern that bears his name is a testament to his tactical genius. When I teach Greco's Mate, I always remind my students that this pattern is over four hundred years old and still catches players off guard today. That is the timeless power of good chess ideas.
What Is Greco's Mate?
Greco's Mate is an advanced checkmate pattern named after the 17th-century Italian chess master Gioacchino Greco. In this pattern, a rook delivers checkmate on the h-file (or sometimes the g-file) to a king whose escape is blocked by a bishop controlling a critical diagonal.
The classic version involves a castled king on g8 (or g7 after being driven there) with a rook delivering check on h8 or h7. The bishop sits on a diagonal that prevents the king from escaping forward — typically on f6, covering g7 and e7. The combination of the rook's file control and the bishop's diagonal control creates an inescapable net.
Greco's Mate often arises after a preliminary sacrifice. A common setup involves sacrificing a bishop on h7 (the classic Bxh7+ Greek Gift sacrifice) to draw the king forward, then opening the h-file for a rook and positioning a bishop on a controlling diagonal. The sacrifice is what makes this pattern both spectacular and practical — you invest material to create the mating conditions.
What I find especially compelling about Greco's Mate is its historical significance. Greco documented many tactical ideas in his manuscripts that were passed around Europe in the early 1600s. His work essentially created the first body of chess tactics literature, and this mate was among his most celebrated discoveries.
Greco's Mate: The Killing Blow
In this position, we see Greco's Mate in its finished form. The rook on h1 has delivered check on h8 (after lifting along the h-file), and the black king on g7 cannot escape. The bishop on f6 controls both g7 and e7, creating a wall on the diagonal.
Let us trace the king's options. It cannot stay on g7 or return to g8 because the rook delivers check along the h-file. It cannot go to f8 because the bishop on f6 also controls squares in that direction. It cannot go to h6 because the rook controls the h-file. Every exit is sealed.
The power of this pattern lies in the bishop's positioning. A bishop on f6 (for White attacking the black king) is a terrifying piece. From f6, it radiates influence across multiple key squares, and when combined with a rook on the h-file, the king has virtually nowhere to run.
In practice, reaching this position often requires sacrificial play to open the h-file. The most common method is the bishop sacrifice on h7 check, but rook lifts (bringing the rook to h3 and then to h7 or h8) are also effective ways to build toward this mating pattern.
Greco's Mate: the rook on g8 delivers checkmate while the bishop on g7 seals the king's escape on h8.
The Greek Gift and the Road to Mate
Greco's Mate is intimately connected with the "Greek Gift" sacrifice — the classic Bxh7+ bishop sacrifice against a castled king. Understanding this sacrifice is essential for understanding how Greco's Mate arises in practice.
The Greek Gift occurs when you sacrifice a bishop on h7 (Bxh7+), forcing the king to capture on h7. Then you follow up with a knight check (usually Ng5+), driving the king further forward. The h-file opens, your queen or rook can swing to the h-file, and the bishop's sacrifice has created a mating attack.
For the Greek Gift to work, certain conditions usually need to be met: you need a bishop that can reach h7, a knight that can jump to g5 after the sacrifice, and a queen or rook ready to join the attack on the h-file. The opponent should have a standard kingside pawn structure (pawns on f7, g6 or g7, h7) and limited defensive resources.
I emphasise to my students that Greco's Mate is the destination, while the Greek Gift is the journey. You sacrifice the bishop not for fun, but because you can see the mating pattern at the end of the sequence. This is what separates wild speculation from calculated sacrifice — you sacrifice because you know what comes next.
Greco's Mate FAQ
Who was Gioacchino Greco?
Gioacchino Greco (c. 1600-1634) was an Italian chess player and writer considered one of the first great chess analysts. He travelled across Europe, playing strong opponents and documenting games and tactical patterns. His manuscripts were widely copied and influenced chess thinking for centuries.
Is the Greek Gift sacrifice always connected to Greco's Mate?
Not always. The Greek Gift (Bxh7+) can lead to various outcomes, including winning material or maintaining a strong attack without immediate checkmate. Greco's Mate is one possible conclusion to a Greek Gift attack, but the sacrifice can succeed even without delivering this specific pattern.
How can I defend against Greco's Mate threats?
The best defense is prevention: be cautious about weakening your kingside pawns when an enemy bishop targets h7. Keep a knight on f6 to defend h7, and consider prophylactic moves like h6 to deny the knight the g5 square. If the sacrifice happens, try to keep the king close to the center rather than wandering up the board.
Professor Archer says: The real artistry of Greco's Mate is in the preparation. The mate itself is the final brushstroke, but the sacrifice that opens the h-file and the bishop maneuver that seals the diagonal — those are where the creative work happens. Study the buildup as carefully as the finish, and you will learn far more about attacking chess.
Quick Quiz
What typically precedes Greco's Mate in practical play?
- A bishop sacrifice on h7 (the Greek Gift) to open the h-file (Correct) - Correct. The classic Greek Gift sacrifice (Bxh7+) draws the king forward and opens the h-file, setting the stage for Greco's Mate with a rook on the h-file and a bishop controlling the diagonal.
- A queen sacrifice on g7 - While queen sacrifices can occur in kingside attacks, the signature preparatory move for Greco's Mate is the bishop sacrifice on h7, known as the Greek Gift.
- Castling queenside to use the h-file rook - While queenside castling can support a kingside attack, the key preparatory move for Greco's Mate is specifically the Bxh7+ sacrifice. The rook can reach the h-file through various means.
- Advancing the h-pawn to open the file - While pawn advances can open files, the classic path to Greco's Mate is through the bishop sacrifice on h7, not a pawn push. The sacrifice immediately opens the h-file and draws the king forward.