No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers

No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers楚河 漢界帥車車砲炮炮卒卒卒傌俥象兵馬士將士

"No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 4 moves; the key first move is C2+4. 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 Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red C2+4 (check, sacrifices the Cannon, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Cannon; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black H6-8 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥車車砲炮卒卒卒傌俥象兵士將士馬
    1. Black H6-8
  2. 2. Red C8=5 (captures the Soldier, check, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Soldier.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    2. Black A6+5 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥車車砲卒炮卒傌俥象兵士士將馬
    2. Black A6+5
  3. 3. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier, 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 Advisor.
    • 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.
    3. Black A4+5 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥車車砲卒炮卒傌俥象士將馬
    3. Black A4+5
  4. 4. Red R8+2 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    4楚河 漢界帥車車砲卒炮卒傌象士俥將馬
    4. Red R8+2

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥車車砲卒炮卒傌象士俥將馬

Red wins after 4 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C2+4 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. 135: Welcomed on Bamboo HorsesNext puzzle: No. 137: One Horse Pacifies the Barbarians →

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