Anastasia's Mate Puzzles
A checkmate where a knight and rook trap the king against the edge of the board, usually on the h-file.
Every puzzle below comes from a real game where this exact idea decided the outcome. Solve them right here in your browser — hints and full solutions included, no account needed.
Why it works
A knight on e7 (or e2) covers both flight squares g8 and g6, so a single rook check down the h-file cannot be answered.
What to look for
A knight that can land on e7 near a castled king - often a queen or rook sacrifice on h7 first drags the king onto the open file.
See the pattern
Solve anastasia's mate puzzles now
Real positions from the library, filtered to this theme. Pick a difficulty and find the best move.
Anastasia's Mate puzzles: frequently asked questions
What are Anastasia's Mate puzzles?
A checkmate where a knight and rook trap the king against the edge of the board, usually on the h-file. Every puzzle on this page is a position from a real game where exactly this idea decides the outcome.
Why does this pattern work?
A knight on e7 (or e2) covers both flight squares g8 and g6, so a single rook check down the h-file cannot be answered.
What should I look for in Anastasia's Mate puzzles?
A knight that can land on e7 near a castled king - often a queen or rook sacrifice on h7 first drags the king onto the open file.
Are these Anastasia's Mate puzzles free?
Yes — the trainer on this page pulls from a curated set of anastasia's mate positions in the Blunders library and is free to use in your browser, no account or download required. A free account adds progress tracking and puzzles built from your own games.
Keep training
Related themes
More free training
Stop repeating the same mistakes
Blunders analyzes the games you actually play and turns your mistakes into puzzles like these. Thousands of puzzles and opening training are free. The free account needs no credit card — Pro is optional.