Position and objective
Red material: Horse + Soldier. Black defenders: Elephant.
Mate the black general within the move limit. Red moves first and the AI answers for Black, with every move validated as it is played.
The black general starts on d9. Trace Red's d7-f8 move on the diagram before checking Black's reply.
How the mate works
Verified line: Red d7-f8 (馬六进四), Black d9-d8 (將4进1), then Red b8-c8 (兵八平七) mates. This is one legal continuation of the validated solution.
The shortest mate takes two moves. The complete move list is on this page — try to find it yourself first.
The first move is the key to the forced mate. Black may have other legal replies; the line below shows one verified continuation.
Key move and common mistakes
The horse first restricts the general’s escape points. After the general advances, the crossed-river soldier moves sideways onto the same rank to mate.
The soldier starts beyond the river, so its sideways move is legal. Recognising that starting condition is essential to finding the finish.
Full move list
Moves alternate Red and Black, exactly as published in the solution.
- 1. d7-f8 d9-d8 （馬六进四 將4进1）
- 2. b8-c8 （兵八平七）
Difficulty and help
Use Hint when you are stuck, or Undo to take a move back.
A wrong move does not end the game — restart the same position and try again.