No. 123: Cut a Road Through the Mountain

No. 123: Cut a Road Through the Mountain楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮俥車象兵俥馬兵傌象士將馬

"No. 123: Cut a Road Through the Mountain" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is +R=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 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, a Advisor, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red +R=4 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, 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
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black -R-1 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮俥象兵車馬兵傌象士將馬
    1. Black -R-1
  2. 2. Red R5+7 (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.
    2. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮象兵車馬將兵傌象士俥馬
    2. Black K6+1
  3. 3. Red P2=3 (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 K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮象兵車馬將兵傌象士俥馬
    3. Black K6+1
  4. 4. Red R5-2 (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.
    4. Black E3+5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮象兵車馬象將兵傌士馬
    4. Black E3+5
  5. 5. Red H8-6 (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 A4+5 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界砲帥卒車炮象兵車馬象將傌士兵馬
    5. Black A4+5
  6. 6. Red C9+5 (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 E5+3 (threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界砲帥卒車象象兵車馬炮將傌士兵馬
    6. Black E5+3
  7. 7. Red H6-8 (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.
    7. Black E3-5 (threatens mate next move)
    7楚河 漢界砲帥卒車象兵車馬炮傌象將士兵馬
    7. Black E3-5
  8. 8. Red H8-6 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    8楚河 漢界砲帥卒車象兵傌車馬炮象將士兵馬
    8. Red H8-6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界砲帥卒車象兵傌車馬炮象將士兵馬

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 123: Cut a Road Through the Mountain"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move +R=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. 122: Rich Land, Strong ArmyNext puzzle: No. 124: Wang Jian Falls From the Chariot →

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