No. 171: Gains and Losses Without Constancy

No. 171: Gains and Losses Without Constancy楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥相卒兵砲傌兵將炮

"No. 171: Gains and Losses Without Constancy" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is H4+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 Advisor, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red H4+3 (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.
    1. Black C5-2 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥相卒兵兵將砲傌炮
    1. Black C5-2
  2. 2. Red H3-5 (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.
    2. Black C5+6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥相卒砲兵傌將炮
    2. Black C5+6
  3. 3. Red H5+3 (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.
    3. Black C5-6 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥相卒兵將砲傌炮
    3. Black C5-6
  4. 4. Red H3-5 (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 C5+7 (captures the Elephant, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥砲卒兵傌將炮
    4. Black C5+7
  5. 5. Red H5+3 (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 C5-7 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬仕俥卒兵將砲傌炮
    5. Black C5-7
  6. 6. Red H3-5 (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.
    6. Black C5+8 (captures the Advisor, threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬砲俥卒兵傌將炮
    6. Black C5+8
  7. 7. Red H5+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.
    7. Black C5-8 (check, threatens mate next move)
    7楚河 漢界帥卒車車馬俥卒兵將砲傌炮
    7. Black C5-8
  8. 8. Red R2=6 (captures the Horse, 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.
    • Wins material: takes the Horse.
    • 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.
    8. Black R3=4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    8楚河 漢界帥卒車車卒兵將砲傌炮
    8. Black R3=4
  9. 9. Red H3-5 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    9楚河 漢界帥卒車車卒兵傌將砲炮
    9. Red H3-5

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒車車卒兵傌將砲炮

Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 171: Gains and Losses Without Constancy"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H4+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. 170: Bound and SurrenderingNext puzzle: No. 172: Spreading the Net on the Move →

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