No. 180: Evening Birds Return to the Forest

No. 180: Evening Birds Return to the Forest楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車炮俥士馬傌俥將

"No. 180: Evening Birds Return to the Forest" 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 R7+1. 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, 2 Horses, a Cannon. Black has a General, a Advisor, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. 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.
    1. Black K4+1
    1楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車炮俥士馬傌將俥
    1. Black K4+1
  2. 2. Red H3+4 (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.
    2. Black H6-5
    2楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車炮俥士將俥馬傌
    2. Black H6-5
  3. 3. 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.
    3. Black K4-1
    3楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車炮俥士俥將馬傌
    3. Black K4-1
  4. 4. Red H4-5 (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.
    4. Black A4-5
    4楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車炮俥傌俥士將馬
    4. Black A4-5
  5. 5. Red R4=6 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, 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 for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    5. Black R4-1 (captures the Chariot)
    5楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬炮車傌俥士將馬
    5. Black R4-1
  6. 6. Red C4+8 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車傌俥士將馬炮
    6. Red C4+8

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 漢界砲帥砲車傌馬車傌俥士將馬炮

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 180: Evening Birds Return to the Forest"?

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 R7+1 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. 179: Border Beacons Alarm the EnemyNext puzzle: No. 181: Slaying the Dragon at the Sea Bottom →

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