No. 191: Comforting the Officers and Men

"No. 191: Comforting the Officers and Men" 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 C3+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 Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red C3+3 (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.
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 A6+5
1. Black A6+5
2. Red R7+1 (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.
2. Black K4+1
2. Black K4+1
3. Red C2=6 (check, sacrifices the Cannon, 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 Cannon; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
3. Black R2=4 (captures the Cannon)
3. Black R2=4
4. Red R7-1 (check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
4. Black K4-1
4. Black K4-1
5. Red R7=5 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Red R7=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: 2. C2=6+ K4=5 3. R7+1# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 2: R2=4 3. R7=5# Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 191: Comforting the Officers and Men"?

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 C3+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. 189: Shut the Gate and Sweep the Tracks Next puzzle: No. 192: Hearts Bound Across Two Places →

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