No. 193: Equal Merit, Equal Rank

"No. 193: Equal Merit, Equal Rank" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is -R=4. 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, 2 Advisors, 2 Chariots. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red -R=4 (check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
1. Black K6=5
1. Black K6=5
2. Red R1+2 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black E5-7
2. Black E5-7
3. Red R1=3 (captures the Elephant, check, 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.
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black A5-6
3. Black A5-6
4. Red R3=4 (captures the Advisor, 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 Advisor.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
4. Black K5+1
4. Black K5+1
5. Red +R-1 (check)
5. Black K5-1
5. Black K5-1
6. Red -R=5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black A4+5
6. Black A4+5
7. Red R5+3 (captures the Advisor, check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Black K5=4
7. Black K5=4
8. Red R4+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Red R4+1

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: K5+1 6. -R+2# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: A5+6 2. R1=4+ K6=5 3. +R+2+ K5+1 4. -R+3# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 193: Equal Merit, Equal Rank"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move -R=4 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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 192: Hearts Bound Across Two Places Next puzzle: No. 194: Traps Set at Every Step →

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