No. 196: Snow Blocks the Blue Pass

No. 196: Snow Blocks the Blue Pass楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車傌兵士俥象士將象

"No. 196: Snow Blocks the Blue Pass" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is R3+1. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

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Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R3+1 (captures the Elephant, check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
    Why it works
    • Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
    • Wins material: takes the Elephant.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    1. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車傌兵士將象士俥
    1. Black K6+1
  2. 2. Red R3=4 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    2. Black A5-6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車傌兵將象士士
    2. Black A5-6
  3. 3. Red H3+2 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
    Why it works
    • Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    3. Black K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車兵將象士士傌
    3. Black K6=5
  4. 4. Red C9=5 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
    Why it works
    • Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    4. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車兵將象士士傌
    4. Black K5=4
  5. 5. Red P8=7 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車兵將象士士傌
    5. Red P8=7

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒炮砲馬車兵將象士士傌

Red wins after 5 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 196: Snow Blocks the Blue Pass"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570).

How many moves does the solution take?

5 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.

What is the key move?

The first move R3+1 starts the combination. Everything that follows depends on it.

Can I play this position myself?

Yes. Open it on ChessZing, where the board checks your moves and shows the solution if you get stuck.

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