The history of Greco's Mate is associated with Italian chess player Gioacchino Greco who lived in the early 17th century (1600-1634). Gioacchino Greco was one of the first professional chess players in history. He traveled across Europe playing at royal courts. Additionally he compiled a collection of chess games and analyses which became one of the first chess textbooks in which he developed a systematization of chess combinations and tactical techniques. The mate that subsequently took his name was described in one of the demonstration games included in this book.
Greco's Mate can be delivered by a queen (or rook) if the enemy king stands in the corner of the board and the queen (rook) attacks it vertically. The king's escape route along the diagonal is blocked by its own pawn and along the horizontal by the player's bishop of the opposite color to the square where the king stands.