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Printable Opera mate Puzzles

Real positions from rated games. Narrow them by motif, difficulty or rating, then solve or print each one.

Printable worksheet

12 opera mate puzzles, every difficulty, with answer key

Named after Morphy’s famous opera-house game: a rook (or queen) mates along the back rank or central file while a bishop pins or covers the diagonal escape.

Solve these online instead Customise: pick difficulty, count and paper size

Positions come from real rated games. The answer key prints on the last page.

Opera mate — chess puzzle worksheet Name: ______________   Date: ______________
♜♝♚♝♜
♟♟♟♞
♟♟♗♟♟
♙
♗♙
♘
♙♙♙♙♙
♖♔♖
#1 · white to move · rating 601
♜♞♚♝♞♜
♟♟♟
♗♟♝♟
♟♟
♘♙♙
♙♙♙♙♙
♔♖♗♘♖
#2 · white to move · rating 648
♜♜♚
♘♟♟
♞♝♟
♙♗♙♝
♙♕♙
♖♘♖♔
#3 · black to move · rating 694
♟♟♚
♟♟
♕
♝
♙♙
♖♔
♜♗
#4 · black to move · rating 746
♖♞♚
♟♟
♟
♙♗
♙
♛♜♕♔
#5 · white to move · rating 831
♜♝♜♚
♟♟♟♗
♟♟
♛♝
♙♞
♙♖
♙♙♕♘♙♙
♔♖
#6 · white to move · rating 976
♜♚
♟♟♟
♟
♟♝
♙♙
♘♙♝♟♙
♗♜
♖♕♖♔
#7 · black to move · rating 1135
♜♚
♟♟♟♟
♕
♟
♝
♗♙
♙♛♙♙
♖♔
#8 · white to move · rating 1294
♜♚
♟♟♛♟
♖
♟♝
♙
♙
♙♗♙♙♔
♛
#9 · white to move · rating 1495
♚
♟♜♟♟♟
♟♕
♗♟♞
♝
♜
♙♙♙♔
♖♖
#10 · black to move · rating 1648
♚♜
♟♟♟♟♟♜
♞
♝♘
♟♝♙
♘♙
♙♙♙♕♙♔
♖♖
#11 · black to move · rating 1846
♜♚
♙♟♙
♟♗♙
♞♙
♝
♜♝
♔♖♖
#12 · white to move · rating 2626

Answer key

  1. #1 (puzzle 05uc5): Rd8#
  2. #2 (puzzle 0AoDW): Rd8#
  3. #3 (puzzle 0i0KO): Rxf1#
  4. #4 (puzzle 0mrtm): Rxh1#
  5. #5 (puzzle 06EaC): Rxg8#
  6. #6 (puzzle 0FjqW): Rg8+ → Rxg8 → Rxg8#
  7. #7 (puzzle 0Jz8X): Rh2#
  8. #8 (puzzle 0Exrq): Qxg8+ → Kxg8 → Rf8#
  9. #9 (puzzle 0Isdi): Rh6+ → Kg8 → Rh8#
  10. #10 (puzzle 0K3dK): Rh3+ → Kg1 → Rh1#
  11. #11 (puzzle 00XGg): Rh2+ → Kf1 → Rh1+ → Ng1 → Rxg1+ → Kxg1 → Rh1#
  12. #12 (puzzle 0fs1z): h7+ → Kxh7 → Rf7+ → Rxf7 → Rh1+ → Kg8 → Rh8#

Positions from real rated games (CC0 data).