Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds a cannon, a soldier and a elephant, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 2 soldiers, a chariot, a horse and a cannon, and Black's General stands on d10. Black's defenders: a cannon, a soldier and a elephant.
- Mate in 2
- Chariot finish
- Rating 1796
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 傌 b6–c8. Look at what it does: and leaves Black 1 legal reply, none of which help.
The line
- Red傌 b6–c8Check. Black must answer.
- Black將 d10–e10Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red俥 a7–e7Checkmate.
Black has 1 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
The chariot arrives on a line the defence cannot close. Chariots are the strongest pieces on the board and most finished attacks end with one, which is why a defender will trade almost anything to swap them off first.
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 1x2755 · rating 1220
- Red moves and mates in 1x2753 · rating 1357
- Red to play, mate in 1x2756 · rating 1315
- Find the mate in 2x2752 · rating 1604
- Red to play, mate in 2x2757 · rating 1582
- Red to play, mate in 1x2751 · rating 1354
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.