Find the mate in 1
Mate in 1, proven against every defence.
A one move finish, Red to play. Black holds a elephant, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 2 cannons and a soldier, and Black's General stands on d10. Black's defenders: a elephant.
- Mate in 1
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1155
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 炮 h5–d5. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General.
The line
- Red炮 h5–d5Checkmate.
Mate is immediate: no flight square, no capture and no block.
Why it is mate
The cannon fires through a soldier and lands on the General. Take the screen away and the threat disappears, which is the first thing to look for whenever a cannon is aimed at your palace.
Read about this patternHow 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 2x1992 · rating 1640
- Red to play, mate in 1x1990 · rating 1299
- Red moves and mates in 1x1993 · rating 1180
- Red moves and mates in 2x1989 · rating 1621
- Red moves and mates in 2x1994 · rating 1658
- Find the mate in 1x1988 · rating 1278
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.