Red moves and mates in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
Red is to move and forces mate in 2. Black is not helpless: there are a soldier and 2 horses still on the board, and every legal defence has been tried against this solution. All of them lose.
The position
Red attacks with a soldier, a cannon and 2 horses, and Black's General stands on d8. Black's defenders: a soldier and 2 horses.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1773
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
傌 f6–d7 is the only move that wins. Look at what it does: and leaves Black 11 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red傌 f6–d7Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black卒 i9–i8Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red炮 c6–d6Checkmate.
Every one of Black's 11 answers was played out to the end. The line below follows the most stubborn of them, the one that lasts longest and costs Red the most.
Why it is mate
This is the cannon behind the horse, 马后炮: the horse takes the escape squares and stands as the screen the cannon fires through. A blocking piece only becomes a second screen, so there is nothing to interpose.
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 to play, mate in 1x2003 · rating 1344
- Red to play, mate in 1x2001 · rating 1319
- Red moves and mates in 2x2004 · rating 1605
- Red moves and mates in 1x2000 · rating 1155
- Red moves and mates in 1x2005 · rating 1267
- Find the mate in 2x1999 · rating 1596
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.