📖 The Story Behind the Name

• This checkmate is named after a story in an old German novel called “Anastasia and the Game of Chess” written in the 1800s.

• In the story, a girl named Anastasia is saved using a beautiful checkmate pattern.

• Chess teachers loved the idea and started calling this pattern “Anastasia’s Mate”.

♟️ What the Mate Looks Like

Anastasia’s Mate happens when:

• The enemy king is stuck on the edge of the board (usually h8 or a8).

• A knight is perfectly placed to guard key escape squares (like g6 and f7).

• A rook (or sometimes a queen) slides in to deliver checkmate on the back rank (like h7 or h8).

• The king can’t escape because it's trapped by its own pawns and the knight’s control.

🔍 Anastasia’s Mate Recipe

1. King is stuck on the edge of the board (like on h8).

2. Knight controls the escape squares (like g6 and f7).

3. A rook or queen delivers checkmate along the rank or file.

4. The enemy king is often suffocated by its own pawns.

🧠 Why It's Cool

• It teaches how knights and rooks can team up.

• It shows how to use your opponent’s own pieces against them.

• It’s a great way to learn about back-rank patterns with style!