A Knight and a Rook coordinate to trap an enemy King against the side file of the board, using an enemy pawn to seal the final escape square.
Why it matters
A knight on e7 covers g8 and g6; a rook arriving on the h-file covers everything else. The king sits on h7 with its own pawn on g7 sealing the last square, and there is nowhere to go.
It is worth learning because the knight move usually comes first and looks pointless. Ne7 attacks nothing; it is only mate one move later, which is exactly why defenders allow it.
See it on a board
The knight on e7 takes g6 and g8, the king's own pawn takes g7, and the rook arriving on the h-file takes the rest.
Checked: this line ends in checkmate.
How to play it
- Get a knight to e7 with the enemy king on h7 and its own pawn on g7.
- Check the two squares the knight covers: g8 and g6. Those are the king's only sideways escapes.
- Swing a rook to the h-file. The check is mate because every other square is covered or occupied.
At each level
The same idea, said the way it is taught at each age.
Bishop · ages 5–7
A knight on e7 and a rook coming down the h-file can trap a king on h7. Its own pawn on g7 does half the work for you.
Rook · ages 6–9
The usual introduction is a queen sacrifice on h7 that drags the king out, or a rook lift. Look for the knight first: without it on e7 there is no mate.
What goes wrong
- Bringing the rook first, so the defender has a move to stop the knight arriving.
- Assuming it works with the king's pawn on h7 rather than g7 — then the king simply walks up the board.
Questions people ask
- Why is it called Anastasia's mate?
- From a novel: Anastasia und das Schachspiel, published in 1803. The pattern is much older than the name.