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 advisor and a soldier 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 horse and a chariot, and Black's General stands on f10. Black's defenders: a advisor and a soldier.
- Mate in 2
- Cannon finish
- Rating 1610
Red moves first. Find the move that forces mate whatever Black replies, then open the solution below.
Show the solution
俥 g6–g9 is the only move that wins. Look at what it does: it removes 1 escape point from the General, and leaves Black 5 legal replies, none of which help.
The line
- Red俥 g6–g9Quiet, and there is no answer to the threat.
- Black將 f10–e10Black's most stubborn defence.
- Red炮 a6–a10Checkmate.
Every one of Black's 5 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
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 moves and mates in 1x4285 · rating 1109
- Red moves and mates in 1x4283 · rating 1270
- Find the mate in 1x4286 · rating 1220
- Red to play, mate in 2x4282 · rating 1722
- Find the mate in 2x4287 · rating 1603
- Find the mate in 1x4281 · rating 1116
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.