No. 140: Luring the Dragon Out of the Water
"No. 140: Luring the Dragon Out of the Water" 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 R4+7. 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, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red R4+7Why 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 for- Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
1. Black K5=61. Black K5=6 - 2. Red P3+1Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for2. Black K6+12. Black K6+1 - 3. Red H3-4Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for3. Black R7=63. Black R7=6 - 4. Red H4+5Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Elephant.
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for- Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black R6+14. Black R6+1 - 5. Red H5-3Why 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 for5. Black K6+15. Black K6+1 - 6. Red H3-5Why 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 for6. Black K6-16. Black K6-1 - 7. Red H5+6Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for7. Black K6+17. Black K6+1 - 8. Red H6-5Why 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 for8. Black K6-18. Black K6-1 - 9. Red R6=5Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for9. Red R6=5
Variations and alternative defences
The source manual records 3 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.
- Variation 1, from move 7: E3-5 8. R6=5+ K6+1 9. H6-5# Try it on the board
- Variation 2, from move 4: R6=7 5. C5=4+ R7=6 6. H5-3+ K6+1 7. H3-5+ K6-1 8. +C=5+ R6+1 9. H5+6+ E3-5 10. R6=5+ K6+1 11. H6-5# Try it on the board
- Variation 3, from move 9: K6+1 10. H6-5+ K6-1 11. R6=5# Try it on the board
Final position
Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.
Questions about this puzzle
Who moves first in "No. 140: Luring the Dragon Out of the Water"?
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 R4+7 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.
Nearby puzzles
- No. 137: One Horse Pacifies the Barbarians
- No. 138: Warlords Carve Up the Land
- No. 139: Riding Side by Side
- No. 141: Troops Camped at Xiliu
- No. 142: Seven States in Horizontal Alliance
- No. 143: Avoid Harm on Sight
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
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