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 are a elephant, a soldier and a cannon still on the board, and every legal defence has been tried against this solution. All of them lose.
The position
Red attacks with 2 horses, 2 soldiers and a cannon, and Black's General stands on f9. Black's defenders: a elephant, a soldier and a cannon.
- Mate in 2
- Soldier finish
- Rating 1684
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
炮 c6–f6 is the only move that wins. 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炮 c6–f6Check. Black must answer.
- Black象 h10–f8Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red兵 f7×f8Checkmate.
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
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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