No. 185: Bitter and Poisoned Road

No. 185: Bitter and Poisoned Road楚河 漢界帥俥卒卒車炮傌士俥象砲士將馬

"No. 185: Bitter and Poisoned Road" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is +R+2. 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 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red +R+2 (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.
    1. Black E9-7 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥俥卒卒車炮傌士砲士將象馬
    1. Black E9-7
  2. 2. Red H3+2 (check, sacrifices the Horse)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Horse; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    2. Black C1=8 (captures the Horse, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥俥卒卒車炮士士砲將象馬
    2. Black C1=8
  3. 3. Red R3+9 (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.
    3. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒卒車炮士士將砲俥馬
    3. Black K6+1
  4. 4. Red R3-1 (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.
    4. Black K6-1 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒卒車炮士士俥砲將馬
    4. Black K6-1
  5. 5. Red C1+4 (check, 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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5. Black H8+6 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒卒車士士馬俥砲將炮
    5. Black H8+6
  6. 6. Red R3+1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界帥卒卒車士士馬砲將俥炮
    6. Red R3+1

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒卒車士士馬砲將俥炮

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 185: Bitter and Poisoned Road"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move +R+2 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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