ChessAnastasia's mate is when a knight on e7 seals off the king's exits, and a rook or queen mates the king on h7 down the h-file, with the king's own g7 pawn blocking the last square. One story says its name comes from an early 19th-century novel in which a character wins a game this way. When you play a free game of chess and see the enemy king hiding on the h-file while your knight can jump to e7, think of this one.
The pattern
Here's how the five squares around the black king are sealed off:
- g8, g6: controlled by the white knight on e7.
- h8, h6: on the same h-file as the king, so the rook covers them.
- g7: its own pawn.
Black can't block anywhere between h4 and h6 either, and no black piece can take the rook on h3. The knight takes two squares, the rook takes two, and Black's own pawn blocks the last one. Sealed shut.
How it happens in real games
In a real game Black usually still has a pawn on h7, and the h-file is closed. White's usual method is: take on h7 with the queen first, lure the king to h7, then bring the rook down the h-file.
Step by step:
- The knight goes to e7 with check. f8 holds Black's own rook, so the king has to go to h8.
- The white queen takes the pawn on h7 with check. g8 is covered by the knight on e7, so the king has to take the queen.
- Now the black king stands on h7, walking right into the Anastasia's mate shape, and the rook reaches the h-file for mate.
Giving up the queen for mate like this is very powerful in real games: taking the queen is forced, and there's no other way out.
How to avoid it
- Don't let an enemy knight jump easily to e7 (e2 for White). A knight there covers both g8 and g6, which is the heart of this mate.
- Watch whether the h-file gets opened. Once your h-pawn is captured or traded, the h-file becomes a highway for enemy rooks and queens.
- The g7 pawn isn't always protection. With the king on h7, the g7 pawn actually blocks the king's last square. When necessary, keep the king near g8 or f8.
- When the enemy queen takes on h7, look one move ahead. Before you take her, work out whether, once your king is on h7, the enemy rook can get straight to the h-file.
Practice puzzles
Show answer
1. Qh3# The queen slides along the 3rd rank to h3 and gives check down the h-file. g8 and g6 are covered by the knight, h8 and h6 by the queen, and g7 is Black's own pawn. Checkmate. A queen does this mate just as well as a rook.
Show answer
1. Ne7+ Kh8 2. Qxh7+ Kxh7 3. Rh5# The knight goes to e7 with check, and the black king has to go to h8. The queen takes on h7 with check, and the king has to take her. The rook slides over to h5. Checkmate.
Show answer
1... Rh4# The black rook goes to h4 with check. g1 and g3 are covered by the knight on e2, h1 and h3 by the rook, and g2 is White's own pawn. Checkmate.
FAQ
What's the difference between Anastasia's mate and the Arabian mate?
Both are knight-and-rook teamwork. In the Arabian mate, the king is in the corner, the rook gives check right next to it, and the knight protects the rook. In Anastasia's mate, the king is on h7, the knight on e7 seals the exits, and the rook gives check from far away down the h-file.
Does it have to be a rook?
No. A queen can give check down the h-file too, with the same shape, as in puzzle one.
Why does it so often start with a queen sacrifice?
Because in real games h7 is usually blocked by a pawn, so the h-file is closed. Taking on h7 with the queen and letting the king take back opens the h-file and pulls the king to h7 in one go, creating exactly this shape.
Try it yourself
Anastasia's mate is a great example of a knight and rook working together. Go back to checkmate patterns for the other two-piece mates, or review the fork, where the knight also often gives check while doing something else. Next time you play a free online chess game, look for a chance to jump your knight to e7 next to the enemy king.