Find the mate in 1
Mate in 1, proven against every defence.
A one move finish, Red to play. Black holds nothing but the General, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with a horse and 2 cannons, and Black's General stands on d8. Black's defenders: nothing but the General.
- Mate in 1
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1133
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 炮 b7–b9. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General.
The line
- Red炮 b7–b9Checkmate.
Mate is immediate: no flight square, no capture and no block.
Why it is mate
The mating piece arrives on a square the defence cannot cover.
How this puzzle was checked
Nothing here is an engine opinion. The position was solved by trying every legal defence to the full mate distance, so the claim that Red mates in 1 is a proof rather than an evaluation, and the first move shown is the only one that works. The defence in the line above is Black’s most stubborn try, not a convenient one.
Next puzzles
- Red to play, mate in 1x0436 · rating 1164
- Red to play, mate in 2x0434 · rating 1648
- Red moves and mates in 2x0437 · rating 1675
- Red moves and mates in 1x0433 · rating 1305
- Red to play, mate in 1x0438 · rating 1121
- Red to play, mate in 2x0432 · rating 1789
New to mating patterns? The glossary names the ones that come up again and again, the piece guides explain what each piece can do, and the rules page covers everything from the start.