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 is a advisor still on the board, and every legal defence has been tried against this solution. All of them lose.
The position
Red attacks with a horse, a soldier, a chariot and a cannon, and Black's General stands on e10. Black's defenders: a advisor.
- Mate in 2
- Soldier finish
- Rating 1809
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
俥 g5–e5 is the only move that wins. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 2 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red俥 g5–e5Check. Black must answer.
- Black將 e10–f10Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red兵 f7×f8Checkmate.
Every one of Black's 2 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
A soldier gives the mate, which only happens once it has crossed the river and can step sideways. It is the cheapest piece on the board finishing a game, and it is a reminder that a crossed soldier is an attacker rather than a wall.
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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