No. 120: Treasures Smashed in the Casket

"No. 120: Treasures Smashed in the Casket" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is P4+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, a Elephant, a Chariot, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red P4+1 (check, sacrifices the Soldier, 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 for
Gives up the Soldier; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
1. Black K5=6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
1. Black K5=6
2. Red R9=6 (captures the Chariot, 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.
Wins material: takes the Chariot.
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.
2. Black H3-4 (captures the Chariot)
2. Black H3-4
3. Red H3+2 (check)
3. Black K6+1
3. Black K6+1
4. Red C5=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.
4. Black C5=6
4. Black C5=6
5. Red +C=6 (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 for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C6=5
5. Black C6=5
6. Red C6+4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Red C6+4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: 2. H3+2+ K6+1 3. C5=4+ C5=6 4. +C=6+ C6=5 5. C6+4+ R4+1 6. R9=4# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 120: Treasures Smashed in the Casket"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P4+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. 119: Strength to Match Ten Thousand Next puzzle: No. 121: Hunting at the Willow Camp →

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