No. 116: Emperor Ming Tours the Palace
"No. 116: Emperor Ming Tours the Palace" 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 H2+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, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red H2+4Why 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 for1. Black K5=41. Black K5=4 - 2. Red R1=6Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for2. Black A5+42. Black A5+4 - 3. Red C5=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 for3. Black A4-53. Black A4-5 - 4. Red +P=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 for4. Black A5+44. Black A5+4 - 5. Red P6=5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Wins material: takes the Soldier.
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for5. Black A4-55. Black A4-5 - 6. Red R7+5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Wins material: takes the Elephant.
- 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.
6. Black E1-36. Black E1-3 - 7. Red C6=3Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for7. Black A5+47. Black A5+4 - 8. Red C8=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 A4-58. Black A4-5 - 9. Red C3+5Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out for9. Red C3+5
Variations and alternative defences
The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.
- Variation 1, from move 6: 6. C6=1+ A5+4 7. C1+5+ A6+5 8. H4+3+ C8-2 9. R7+5+ E1-3 10. C8=6+ K4=5 11. H3-4# Try it on the board
- Variation 2, from move 8: A5-6 9. R6+6+ K4=5 10. H3-4+ K5+1 11. R7+4# 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. 116: Emperor Ming Tours the Palace"?
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 H2+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.
Nearby puzzles
- No. 113: Might Awes the Four Seas
- No. 114: Walking the Path with Steadfast Sincerity
- No. 115: Tilling at Shen, Awaiting the Call
- No. 117: Bend the Chimney, Move the Firewood
- No. 118: Many Advisors, None Can Reach
- No. 119: Strength to Match Ten Thousand
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
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