No. 178: Striving With One Heart

No. 178: Striving With One Heart楚河 漢界砲帥車車卒炮兵俥俥士兵馬將士

"No. 178: Striving With One Heart" 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 R6=5. 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 Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R6=5 (captures the Advisor, check)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    What to watch out for
    • The Chariot stands where it can be captured.
    1. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界砲帥車車卒炮兵俥俥兵馬將士
    1. Black K5=4
  2. 2. Red R3=6 (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.
    2. Black R4-6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界砲帥車卒炮兵車俥兵馬將士
    2. Black R4-6
  3. 3. Red R5+1 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    3. Black K4=5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界砲帥車卒炮兵車兵馬將士
    3. Black K4=5
  4. 4. Red C3+5 (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.
    4. Black A6+5 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界砲帥車卒兵車士兵馬將炮
    4. Black A6+5
  5. 5. Red P4+1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5楚河 漢界砲帥車卒兵車士馬將兵炮
    5. Red P4+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界砲帥車卒兵車士馬將兵炮

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 178: Striving With One Heart"?

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 R6=5 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. 177: Leaning on Each Other's StrengthNext puzzle: No. 179: Border Beacons Alarm the Enemy →

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