Solution 1. Consider factorisations of numbers EFGH with all digits different, and identify all factorisations consisting of two 2-digit numbers. Start with the smallest possible number 1023 and stop when a solution is found.
10231024102510261027102810291032103410351036103710381039=3⋅11⋅31=11⋅93=31⋅33=210=16⋅64=32⋅32=52⋅41=25⋅41=2⋅33⋅19=18⋅57=19⋅54=27⋅38=13⋅79=22⋅257=3⋅73=21⋅49=23⋅3⋅43=12⋅86=24⋅43=2⋅517=32⋅5⋅23=15⋅69=23⋅45=22⋅7⋅37=14⋅74=28⋅37=17⋅61=2⋅3⋅173prime
1042104310451046104710481049105210531054105610571058=2⋅521=7⋅149=5⋅11⋅19=11⋅95=19⋅55=2⋅523=3⋅349=23⋅131=prime=22⋅263=34⋅13=13⋅81=27⋅39=2⋅17⋅31=17⋅62=31⋅34=25⋅3⋅11=11⋅96=12⋅88=16⋅66=22⋅48=24⋅44=32⋅33=7⋅151=2⋅232=23⋅46Eureka!
Solution 2. Some simple observations help in reducing cases. Without loss of generality, we will assume throughout AB<CD. We cannot have B=0 or D=0, as this would imply H=0. Similarly, we cannot have B=1 or D=1, as this would imply H=B or H=D. We cannot have A=1, as this would imply E=1, since AB×CD<20⋅98=1960<2000.
If AB=21 then AB×CD≤21⋅98=2058 and E∈{1,2} which is impossible. Thus the smallest possible value of AB is 23.
If AB=23, the smallest possible value of CD is 45. But 23⋅45=1035, however 23⋅46=1058 yields a solution.
We need to show that there is no solution with a smaller value of AB×CD. We only need to consider these possibilities: AB=24,25,26,27,28,29,32, because 322=1024<1058<1089=332. In each case we keep in mind that we wish to achieve 1000<AB×CD<1058.
For AB=24 there are no possibilities for CD, since CD cannot contain the digit 4, and 24⋅39<1000 while 24⋅50>1058. Therefore no solutions exist in this case.
For AB=25, the possibilities for CD are 40, 41, 42. None of these work.
For AB=26, the possibilities for CD are 39, 40. Neither works.
For AB=27, the possibilities for CD are 38, 39. Neither works.
For AB=28, the possibilities for CD are 36, 37. Neither works.
For AB=29, the possibilities for CD are 35, 36. Neither works.
For AB=32, the possibilities for CD are 32, 33. Neither works.
Hence 23⋅46=1058 is the smallest solution.