No. 128: Geng Gong Prays at the Well

No. 128: Geng Gong Prays at the Well楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車象傌傌兵士俥象士將炮

"No. 128: Geng Gong Prays at the Well" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is P6=5. 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, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier, 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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    1. Black A4+5 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車象傌傌士俥象將炮
    1. Black A4+5
  2. 2. Red R3=5 (captures the Advisor, check, 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.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    2. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車象傌傌俥象將炮
    2. Black K5=4
  3. 3. Red H3+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 E5-7 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車傌俥象將傌象
    3. Black E5-7
  4. 4. Red R5=6 (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.
    4. Black K4=5 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車傌俥象將傌象
    4. Black K4=5
  5. 5. Red H1+3 (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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5. Black -R-5 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵俥車傌象將傌象
    5. Black -R-5
  6. 6. Red C4=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.
    6. Black K5=6 (captures the Horse, threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵俥車傌象將象
    6. Black K5=6
  7. 7. Red R6+1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車傌象俥將象
    7. Red R6+1

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥馬卒車炮兵車傌象俥將象

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 128: Geng Gong Prays at the Well"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P6=5 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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