No. 130: Crow and Magpie Fight for the Nest

No. 130: Crow and Magpie Fight for the Nest楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵兵車兵傌砲砲兵將炮

"No. 130: Crow and Magpie Fight for the Nest" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 22 moves; the key first move is H5+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, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons, 4 Soldiers. Black has a General, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red H5+4 (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 C8-2 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵兵車兵砲兵將傌砲炮
    1. Black C8-2
  2. 2. Red H4-2 (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.
    2. Black C8+3 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵兵車砲砲兵傌將炮
    2. Black C8+3
  3. 3. Red +H+4 (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.
    3. Black C8-3 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵兵車砲兵將傌砲炮
    3. Black C8-3
  4. 4. Red H4-2 (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.
    4. Black C8+4 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵砲車砲兵傌將炮
    4. Black C8+4
  5. 5. Red +H+4 (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.
    5. Black C8-4 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥炮傌卒卒馬兵車砲兵將傌砲炮
    5. Black C8-4
  6. 6. Red H4-2 (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.
    6. Black C8+9 (captures the Horse, check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
    6楚河 漢界帥炮砲卒卒馬兵車砲兵傌將炮
    6. Black C8+9
  7. 7. Red C5+3 (captures the Horse, check, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Horse.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    7楚河 漢界帥砲卒卒炮兵車砲兵傌將炮
    7. Black K5=4
  8. 8. Red H2+4 (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.
    8. Black C8-9 (threatens mate next move)
    8楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮兵車砲兵將傌砲炮
    8. Black C8-9
  9. 9. Red H4-2 (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.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    9. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    9楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮兵車砲將兵傌砲炮
    9. Black K4+1
  10. 10. Red H2-4 (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.
    10. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    10楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮兵車將傌砲兵砲炮
    10. Black K4+1
  11. 11. Red C1-2 (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.
    11. Black C8+2 (threatens mate next move)
    11楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮兵車將傌砲炮砲兵
    11. Black C8+2
  12. 12. Red H4-6 (check, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    12. Black C8+3 (threatens mate next move)
    12楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲兵車傌將炮砲兵
    12. Black C8+3
  13. 13. Red C5=6 (check)
    13. Black K4=5 (threatens mate next move)
    13楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲兵車傌將炮砲兵
    13. Black K4=5
  14. 14. Red P5+1 (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.
    14. Black K5=6 (threatens mate next move)
    14楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌兵將炮砲兵
    14. Black K5=6
  15. 15. Red P5=4 (check)
    15. Black K6-1 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    15楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌兵炮砲將
    15. Black K6-1
  16. 16. Red C6=4 (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.
    16. Black C8=6 (threatens mate next move)
    16楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌兵炮砲將
    16. Black C8=6
  17. 17. Red P4+1 (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.
    17. Black K6-1 (threatens mate next move)
    17楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌兵炮砲將
    17. Black K6-1
  18. 18. Red P4+1 (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.
    18. Black K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
    18楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮砲兵將
    18. Black K6=5
  19. 19. Red P4=5 (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.
    19. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    19楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮砲兵將
    19. Black K5=4
  20. 20. Red C4=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.
    20. Black C6=4 (threatens mate next move)
    20楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮砲兵將
    20. Black C6=4
  21. 21. 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 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    21. Black C1=4 (threatens mate next move)
    21楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮砲兵將
    21. Black C1=4
  22. 22. Red P5=6 (captures the Cannon, checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    • Wins material: takes the Cannon.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    22楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮兵將
    22. Red P5=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒卒炮砲車傌炮兵將

Red wins after 22 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 130: Crow and Magpie Fight for the Nest"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H5+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.

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