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 2 soldiers and a horse still on the board, and every legal defence has been tried against this solution. All of them lose.
The position
Red attacks with 3 cannons, a chariot and 2 horses, and Black's General stands on e8. Black's defenders: 2 soldiers and a horse.
- Mate in 2
- Chariot finish
- Rating 1682
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
俥 a6×e6 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 a6×e6Check. Black must answer.
- Black將 e8–f8Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red俥 e6–f6Checkmate.
Every one of Black's 2 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
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.
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