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 4 elephants still on the board, and every legal defence has been tried against this solution. All of them lose.
The position
Red attacks with a chariot and 4 cannons, and Black's General stands on f8. Black's defenders: 4 elephants.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1775
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
俥 h9×g9 is the only move that wins. Look at what it does: it takes a defender off the board on the way, it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 2 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red俥 h9×g9Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black將 f8–e8Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red炮 b7–b8Checkmate.
Black has 2 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
Two cannons on one line, the front one screening the one behind it. That is 重炮, stacked cannons, and it cannot be blocked: any piece that steps in simply becomes another screen.
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 1x0605 · rating 1250
- Find the mate in 1x0603 · rating 1111
- Red moves and mates in 1x0606 · rating 1133
- Red moves and mates in 2x0602 · rating 1785
- Red to play, mate in 2x0607 · rating 1803
- Red moves and mates in 1x0601 · rating 1231
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.