This link has the timestamp for just the strats on their own. You can watch the whole video if you want to:
- find out why we use Hard CPU instead of Normal
- see my suggestion for how to beat Normal in order to unlock Hard
- know who discovered all of the strats etc.
Here is a picture guide also. There are 2 moves the CPU can make at the start after you move your Pawn, they are categorized based on that.
#1. Rook Move
Move your Pawn, if the Rook moves, take their Pawn with your Bishop, promote. Take their Rook and move up left again.
#1a. Rook then King
if the King moves again, take their Gold General
then place your Rook from the sideboard between your Bishop and their Knight and move it down to take the Silver and deliver Checkmate.
It doesn't really matter if you promote, but saving the animation time by not promoting can be nice.
#1b. Rook then Gold
if the Gold moves, place your Rook from the sideboard early between your Bishop and their Silver
then take the 2nd Gold that moves with your Bishop and then the other Gold to deliver Checkmate.
Note: It is possible to take with Rook for the Checkmate, but to do so you need to promote, so again we're saving animation time by taking with the already promoted Bishop.
#2. Pawn Move
Move your Pawn, if the Pawn moves, take their Bishop with your Bishop, promote. Take their Silver.
#2a. Pawn Stone Wall
If the CPU moves their Silver right away and makes a Stone Wall pattern (chess reference, sorry. see image) with their Pawns, place your Silver from the sideboard between their Rook and their Silver
then place your Bishop from the sideboard in front of your other Bishop and move the already promoted Bishop to deliver Checkmate.
#2b. Three Pawns in a Row
If the CPU moves the Pawn next to their first one they are going to move a third Pawn after you take their Silver. This is the best case scenario! Place your Bishop from the sideboard in front of your other Bishop right away
then move the already promoted Bishop to deliver Checkmate.
#2c. Two Pawns and a Gold
If after moving the Pawn next to their first one the CPU then moves their Gold, we have to do something very different to our other strats. First take their Gold with your Bishop
then place your Bishop from the sideboard to the right of their Rook, place your Gold from the sideboard to the right of their Silver and then place your Silver to the top right of their King to deliver Checkmate.
