--- title: "Anastasia's mate in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/anastasias-mate.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/anastasias-mate" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Anastasia's mate is a checkmate in which a knight and a rook trap a king on the edge. Nothing can capture the rook if no black piece reaches the h-file." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arabian-mate.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Anastasia's mate in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Anastasia's mate is a checkmate in which a knight and a rook trap a king on the edge. Nothing can capture the rook if no black piece reaches the h-file. Anastasia's mate is a checkmate in which a knight and a rook trap a king on the edge, with the king's own pawn blocking its escape and the rook checking along the edge file. The pattern uses a [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md), a rook or queen, and an enemy king next to the edge with its own pawn beside it. The knight covers the two [squares](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md) on the next file beside the king, the rook checks along the edge file and takes away the squares above and below the king, and the king's own pawn blocks the last square. With the black king on h7 and a pawn on g7, the knight on e7 covers g8 and g6. A rook on the h-file gives check, and the king cannot move up or down the file because the rook controls it. Nothing can [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) the rook if no black piece reaches the h-file. To use it, look for a king on the h-file or the a-file with its own pawn beside it and a knight that can land on e7 (or the matching square on the other side). Then switch a rook or queen to the edge file. To defend, avoid leaving your king and its pawn shielded in this way, keep a defender on the edge file, or capture the knight on e7. In the diagram White to move plays Rh4#. The rook checks the king on h7 along the h-file. The knight on e7 covers g8 and g6, the pawn on g7 blocks the king, and the rook controls h8 and h6, so it is [checkmate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md). ## Example position White to move plays Rh4#. The rook checks along the h-file, the knight on e7 covers g8 and g6, and the king's own pawn on g7 blocks the last square, so Black is checkmated. Position (FEN): `8/4N1pk/8/8/3R4/8/8/6K1 w - - 0 1` Also worth reading is [Arabian mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arabian-mate.md). An Arabian mate is a corner checkmate where a rook gives the check from beside the king, and a knight, a jump away from the rook, guards it and covers the one flight square the rook leaves open. A neighboring idea is [Boden's mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bodens-mate.md). Boden's mate is a checkmate in which two bishops attack along diagonals that cross, one giving check and the other cutting off flight squares, while the king's own pieces block the rest. Compare it with [Epaulette mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/epaulette-mate.md). An epaulette mate is a checkmate in which a queen checks a king whose two side squares are occupied by its own pieces, usually rooks, so it cannot step sideways. To see how often "Anastasia's mate" or a pattern like it decides your own games, book a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): George Li reviews your games and writes a study plan around what he finds. ## Related terms - [Arabian mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arabian-mate.md) - [Smothered mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md) - [Checkmate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md) - [Mating net](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Arabian mate in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arabian-mate.md) - [Smothered mate in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/smothered-mate.md) - [Checkmate in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md) - [Mating net in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mating-net.md) - [Chess terms: Tactics and combinations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)