No. 125: Five Tigers Descend to Sichuan
"No. 125: Five Tigers Descend to Sichuan" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is R2+1. 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, a Advisor, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red R2+11. Black K6+1
1. Black K6+1 - 2. Red H8-7Why it works
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for2. Black A5+42. Black A5+4 - 3. Red +H+6Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for3. Black A4-53. Black A4-5 - 4. Red H6+8Why it works
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for4. Black A5+44. Black A5+4 - 5. Red R2-1Why 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 for5. Black K6-15. Black K6-1 - 6. Red C9+1Why 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 for6. Black E5-36. Black E5-3 - 7. Red H8-7Why it works
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for7. Black E3+57. Black E3+5 - 8. Red +H+6Why 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 for8. Black E5-38. Black E5-3 - 9. Red R2+1Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out for9. Red R2+1
Variations and alternative defences
What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.
- 1. Black K6+1
- If Black plays E5-7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- 2. Black A5+4
- If Black plays A5-6 instead: Red mates immediately with R2-1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A5-4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- 3. Black A4-5
- If Black plays A6-5 instead: Red mates immediately with R6=4. Try it on the board
- 4. Black A5+4
- If Black plays A5-6 instead: Red mates immediately with R2-1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A5-4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- 7. Black E3+5
- If Black plays E3+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
Final position
Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.
Questions about this puzzle
Who moves first in "No. 125: Five Tigers Descend to Sichuan"?
Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570).
How many moves does the solution take?
9 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.
What is the key move?
The first move R2+1 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.
Nearby puzzles
- No. 122: Rich Land, Strong Army
- No. 123: Cut a Road Through the Mountain
- No. 124: Wang Jian Falls From the Chariot
- No. 126: Falling Leaves Return in Autumn
- No. 127: Visiting Dai on a Snowy Night
- No. 128: Geng Gong Prays at the Well
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
Languages: English · Tiếng Việt · 简体中文 · 繁體中文