No. 121: Hunting at the Willow Camp

No. 121: Hunting at the Willow Camp楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象傌炮象傌俥士俥馬將士

"No. 121: Hunting at the Willow Camp" 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 R4+1. 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, 2 Horses, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R4+1 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black K5=6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象傌炮象傌俥士馬將
    1. Black K5=6
  2. 2. Red H3+2 (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 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮象傌俥士傌馬將
    2. Black K6=5
  3. 3. Red H1+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 K5=6 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮象俥士傌傌馬將
    3. Black K5=6
  4. 4. Red H3-5 (captures the Elephant, check, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Elephant.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    4. Black K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮傌俥士傌馬將
    4. Black K6=5
  5. 5. Red H5+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.
    5. Black K5=6 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮俥士傌傌馬將
    5. Black K5=6
  6. 6. Red R6+1 (check, sacrifices the Chariot)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    6. Black A5-4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮傌傌馬士將
    6. Black A5-4
  7. 7. Red H3-4 (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.
    7. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    7楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象傌炮將傌馬士
    7. Black K6+1
  8. 8. Red H4+2 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    8楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮傌將傌馬士
    8. Red H4+2

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥車卒卒車象炮傌將傌馬士

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 121: Hunting at the Willow Camp"?

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 R4+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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 120: Treasures Smashed in the CasketNext puzzle: No. 122: Rich Land, Strong Army →

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