Find the mate in 1
Mate in 1, proven against every defence.
A one move finish, Red to play. Black holds a advisor, 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 f8. Black's defenders: a advisor.
- Mate in 1
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1314
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 炮 i4–f4. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General.
The line
- Red炮 i4–f4Checkmate.
There is nothing to try. The General cannot move, the checking piece cannot be taken, and nothing can be interposed.
Why it is mate
Two cannons on one line, the front one screening the one behind it. That is 重炮, stacked cannons, and it cannot be blocked: any piece that steps in simply becomes another screen.
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 moves and mates in 1x2786 · rating 1133
- Find the mate in 2x2784 · rating 1775
- Red to play, mate in 2x2787 · rating 1686
- Find the mate in 1x2783 · rating 1217
- Red to play, mate in 1x2788 · rating 1166
- Red moves and mates in 2x2782 · rating 1735
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.