No. 134: Dragon Leaps From the Vast Sea

"No. 134: Dragon Leaps From the Vast Sea" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 10 moves; the key first move is H6+7. 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 Advisors, a Elephant, a Chariot, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red H6+7 (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.
1. Black R2-8 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
1. Black R2-8
2. Red R1=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 H6-4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
2. Black H6-4
3. Red C1=6 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
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 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H4-3 (captures the Horse, threatens mate next move)
3. Black H4-3
4. Red C6-5 (captures the Soldier, 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.
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
4. Black H3+4 (threatens mate next move)
4. Black H3+4
5. Red A6-5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H4+5
5. Black H4+5
6. Red H4+6 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black H5-4
6. Black H5-4
7. Red H6+8 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
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 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H4+2
7. Black H4+2
8. Red H8+6 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Black H2-4
8. Black H2-4
9. Red H6+4 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
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 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black H4-6
9. Black H4-6
10. Red H4+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
10. Red H4+6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 8: H2+4 9. H6+4+ H4-5 10. A5+6+ H5+4 11. P5=6# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 8: 8. A5+6+ H2-4 9. H8+7# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 5: H4+6 6. H4+6+ H6+4 7. H6+8+ H4-2 8. H8+6+ H2-4 9. H6+4+ H4-6 10. H4+6# Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 5: H4+3 6. H4+6+ H3+4 7. H6+5+ H4+2 8. H5+7# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 10 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 134: Dragon Leaps From the Vast Sea"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H6+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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 133: Six States Vie for Supremacy Next puzzle: No. 135: Welcomed on Bamboo Horses →

Nearby puzzles

No. 131: Guest Behind the Curtain
8 moves
No. 132: Five Hegemons Vie for Supremacy
7 moves
No. 133: Six States Vie for Supremacy
4 moves
No. 135: Welcomed on Bamboo Horses
6 moves
No. 136: Startled Swan Preens Its Feathers
4 moves
No. 137: One Horse Pacifies the Barbarians
4 moves

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