Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds 2 horses, a elephant, a advisor and a soldier, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 3 cannons, a chariot and a horse, and Black's General stands on d10. Black's defenders: 2 horses, a elephant, a advisor and a soldier.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1775
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 俥 c7–c9. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 13 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red俥 c7–c9Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black馬 a9–b7Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red炮 h7–h10Checkmate.
Black has 13 legal moves after the first blow and each was refuted to mate. The main line shown is the toughest defence rather than a convenient one.
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 2 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 1x1033 · rating 1169
- Find the mate in 1x1031 · rating 1245
- Red to play, mate in 2x1034 · rating 1679
- Find the mate in 1x1030 · rating 1354
- Red to play, mate in 1x1035 · rating 1103
- Red to play, mate in 2x1029 · rating 1772
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.