Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds a soldier, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 2 cannons, and Black's General stands on d10. Black's defenders: a soldier.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1733
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 帥 f1–e1. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 1 legal reply, none of which help.
The line
- Red帥 f1–e1Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black卒 d9–d8Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red炮 b5–d5Checkmate.
Every one of Black's 1 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
The cannon fires through a soldier and lands on the General. Take the screen away and the threat disappears, which is the first thing to look for whenever a cannon is aimed at your palace.
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
- Find the mate in 1x2743 · rating 1318
- Red moves and mates in 1x2741 · rating 1215
- Find the mate in 2x2744 · rating 1730
- Red moves and mates in 1x2740 · rating 1182
- Red to play, mate in 1x2745 · rating 1137
- Find the mate in 2x2739 · rating 1730
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.