Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds a advisor and 2 elephants, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with a horse, a chariot and a soldier, and Black's General stands on e10. Black's defenders: a advisor and 2 elephants.
- Mate in 2
- Chariot finish
- Rating 1562
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 帥 d2–e2. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 4 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red帥 d2–e2Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black士 f10×e9The toughest try, taking a piece with it.
- Red俥 c8–c10Checkmate.
Black has 4 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
- Find the mate in 1x3123 · rating 1330
- Find the mate in 1x3121 · rating 1190
- Red to play, mate in 2x3124 · rating 1749
- Find the mate in 1x3120 · rating 1163
- Red moves and mates in 1x3125 · rating 1205
- Red moves and mates in 2x3119 · rating 1772
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.