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 soldier and a cannon, and Black's General stands on e10. Black's defenders: nothing but the General.
- Mate in 1
- Soldier finish
- Rating 1208
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 兵 f8–f9. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General.
The line
- Red兵 f8–f9Checkmate.
Mate is immediate: no flight square, no capture and no block.
Why it is mate
A soldier gives the mate, which only happens once it has crossed the river and can step sideways. It is the cheapest piece on the board finishing a game, and it is a reminder that a crossed soldier is an attacker rather than a wall.
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.
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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.