The Side Tiger is a classic chariot-and-horse mate. The idea is simple: the horse guards the door on the flank, and the chariot kicks it in from the side. Because the two pieces have clear jobs, it mates efficiently.

1. What it is

"Side" means the attack does not come down the centre file but from one side of the palace. It has two parts:

  • the horse — posted on a key flank square, covering the general's escape squares;
  • the chariot — checking from the side or the rib file to finish the job.

2. Conditions for the mate

  1. The horse can hold its square without being driven off or captured;
  2. The chariot can reach a checking square on the side without being blocked;
  3. The opponent's advisors and elephants are incomplete, so there are no extra ways to answer;
  4. The general's space is limited, so it cannot slip away in another direction.

3. A typical sequence

  1. Red's horse jumps to the flank of the black general and seals its horizontal and diagonal escapes;
  2. Red's chariot slides to the side, creating a threat along the line;
  3. The chariot checks; the general has nowhere to go, and Black cannot interpose or capture the chariot — mate.

The key is the order: the horse closes the door first, then the chariot comes in from the side.

4. How to defend

  • Contest the square — put a piece near the horse's landing point before it settles;
  • Block the horse leg — obstruct the route the horse needs;
  • Complete the advisors and elephants — give the general one more escape square;
  • Trade — look to exchange the chariot or the horse and break up the partnership.

5. Why it matters

The Side Tiger appears in both the middlegame and the endgame, especially once the general has been pushed towards one side. It belongs to the same family as the "horse mates" — the fishing horse and the crouching horse — and differs mainly in which piece delivers the final blow and from which direction.

How to practise: set up chariot and horse against a lone general in the AI game and mate in as few moves as possible. Then add advisors for the defender and work out how to break the defence before mating.

Read next: the fishing horse and chariot-horse quiet move guides.