No. 126: Falling Leaves Return in Autumn

No. 126: Falling Leaves Return in Autumn楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮傌俥象士將象士馬

"No. 126: Falling Leaves Return in Autumn" 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 R5=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 Advisors, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R5=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 forNo real drawback in this position.
    1. Black A5+6 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮傌俥象士將象士馬
    1. Black A5+6
  2. 2. Red R4=3 (check, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • 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楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮傌俥象士將象士馬
    2. Black K6=5
  3. 3. Red R3+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.
    3. Black K5-1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮傌象士俥象士將馬
    3. Black K5-1
  4. 4. Red H5+4 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    4楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮象傌俥象士將馬
    4. Red H5+4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界砲車仕帥車仕卒炮象傌俥象士將馬

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 126: Falling Leaves Return in Autumn"?

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 R5=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. 125: Five Tigers Descend to SichuanNext puzzle: No. 127: Visiting Dai on a Snowy Night →

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