No. 192: Hearts Bound Across Two Places

"No. 192: Hearts Bound Across Two Places" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 3 moves; the key first move is H1+3. 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 Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red H1+3 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
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.
1. Black R8-8 (threatens mate next move)
1. Black R8-8
2. Red P4=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black A4+5 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
2. Black A4+5
3. Red H3-4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Red H3-4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 2: K5=6 3. H3-4# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: A5-6 2. C4=5+ E5+7 3. H3-2# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 2: 2. H3-4+ A6+5 3. P4+1# Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 2: R8-8 3. P4=3+ K5+1 4. C1-1+ R8+1 5. P3=2# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 3 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 192: Hearts Bound Across Two Places"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H1+3 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. 191: Comforting the Officers and Men Next puzzle: No. 193: Equal Merit, Equal Rank →

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