Anastasia's Mate

In Anastasia's mate a knight covers the king's escape squares and a rook mates along the edge file. The king is trapped between its own pawn and the knight.

8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

Start

Pieces: Rook + knight
Level: Intermediate
Mating side: White
Also known as: anastasia mate, kale ve at matı

Moves

1.Rh5#

The e7 knight covers g8 and g6 and Black's g7 pawn blocks the king. 1.Rh5 checks down the h-file, which also covers h8 and h6. Mate.

Try it against the computer Solve puzzles

How to recognise Anastasia's Mate

The knight controls two squares on the neighbouring file (g6 and g8).
The king's own pawn (g7) blocks the escape.
A rook (or queen) mates along the edge file.

How to defend

Remove a knight that settles on e7 (e2) at once.
When the h-file opens, move your king away from the edge.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name come from?

From Wilhelm Heinse's 1803 novel "Anastasia und das Schachspiel".

Can the queen deliver it too?

Yes, a queen on the edge file can give the same mate instead of a rook.

Continue with lessons

Similar checkmate patterns

Arabian Mate — The Arabian mate is a rook and knight mating a king in the corner.
Hook Mate — In the hook mate a rook mates from a square next to the king; a knight protects the rook and a pawn protects the knight.
Back-Rank Mate — In a back-rank mate the king is trapped behind its own pawns and a rook or queen mates on the last rank.

← All checkmate tactics Next: Arabian Mate →