Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds a cannon, a advisor and a elephant, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 3 horses, a chariot and a cannon, and Black's General stands on f9. Black's defenders: a cannon, a advisor and a elephant.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1584
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 俥 c8–e8. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 14 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red俥 c8–e8Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black砲 d10×g10The toughest try, taking a piece with it.
- Red炮 e6–f6Checkmate.
Black has 14 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
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.
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