No. 139: Riding Side by Side

"No. 139: Riding Side by Side" 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 +R+3. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

Solve this puzzle on ChessZing →

Free, in the browser, no download.

Pieces on the board

Red has a General, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red +R+3 (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.
1. Black A5+6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
1. Black A5+6
2. Red R4+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 K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
2. Black K6=5
3. Red R4=5 (check, sacrifices the Chariot)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
3. Black C5-4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
3. Black C5-4
4. Red H5+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.
4. Black K5=6 (threatens mate next move)
4. Black K5=6
5. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: K5=6 4. R5+2+ K6=5 5. H5+4+ K5=6 6. C5=4+ C5=6 7. H4+6+ K6=5 8. H6+8+ K5+1 9. H8-7+ K5-1 10. H7+6+ K5+1 11. H3+4# Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 139: Riding Side by Side"?

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 +R+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. 138: Warlords Carve Up the Land Next puzzle: No. 140: Luring the Dragon Out of the Water →

Nearby puzzles

No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers
4 moves
No. 137: One Horse Pacifies the Barbarians
4 moves
No. 138: Warlords Carve Up the Land
8 moves
No. 140: Luring the Dragon Out of the Water
9 moves
No. 141: Troops Camped at Xiliu
7 moves
No. 142: Seven States in Horizontal Alliance
6 moves

Languages: English · Tiếng Việt · 简体中文 · 繁體中文