Find the mate in 2
Mate in 2, proven against every defence.
A two move finish, Red to play. Black holds a chariot, which is enough to survive most attacks and not this one.
The position
Red attacks with 3 cannons and 2 horses, and Black's General stands on e9. Black's defenders: a chariot.
- Mate in 2
- Horse finish
- Rating 1604
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
The move is 炮 b4–e4. Look at what it does: it removes 2 escape points from the General, and leaves Black 1 legal reply, none of which help.
The line
- Red炮 b4–e4Check. Black must answer.
- Black將 e9–f9Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red傌 g6–h8Checkmate.
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
A horse delivering mate beside the palace is the shape players call the trough horse, 卧槽马: it checks and covers escape points at the same time, and because a horse cannot be blocked by a piece in its path once it has landed, only capture or flight would help.
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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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.