No. 181: Slaying the Dragon at the Sea Bottom

No. 181: Slaying the Dragon at the Sea Bottom楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬俥相炮傌車象士將士象

"No. 181: Slaying the Dragon at the Sea Bottom" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is H6+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, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red H6+4 (check)
    1. Black R8=6
    1楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬俥相炮傌車象士將士象
    1. Black R8=6
  2. 2. Red R6+7 (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.
    2. Black K5+1
    2楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象俥士象
    2. Black K5+1
  3. 3. Red H4-6 (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.
    3. Black K5+1
    3楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象俥士象
    3. Black K5+1
  4. 4. Red R6=5 (check)
    4. Black A6+5
    4楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將士車象俥象
    4. Black A6+5
  5. 5. Red R5-1 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    5. Black R6=5 (captures the Chariot)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象象
    5. Black R6=5
  6. 6. Red H6-4 (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.
    6. Black K5=6
    6楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象象
    6. Black K5=6
  7. 7. Red C1=4 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象象
    7. Red C1=4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 1 variation. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒砲馬相炮傌將車象象

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 181: Slaying the Dragon at the Sea Bottom"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H6+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. 180: Evening Birds Return to the ForestNext puzzle: No. 182: Throwing Meat to a Hungry Tiger →

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