No. 104: Going Straight and Getting One's Way
"No. 104: Going Straight and Getting One's Way" 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 R6+2. 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 Advisors, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red R6+21. Black A6-5
1. Black A6-5 - 2. Red H8-6Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for2. Black C5-52. Black C5-5 - 3. Red R6=5Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for- The Chariot stands where it can be captured.
3. Black K6+13. Black K6+1 - 4. Red R5-1Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Cannon.
- 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.
4. Black E7+54. Black E7+5 - 5. Red H6-5Why 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 H5+3Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for6. Black K6=56. Black K6=5 - 7. Red H3+2Why 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 for7. Black K5-17. Black K5-1 - 8. Red R9+5Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out for8. Red R9+5
Variations and alternative defences
The source manual records 5 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.
- Variation 1, from move 6: K6-1 7. R9+5+ Try it on the board
- Variation 2, from move 6: K6+1 7. H3+2# Try it on the board
- Variation 3, from move 2: K6+1 3. H6-5+ K6-1 4. H5+3+ K6+1 5. R9+3+ C5-5 6. R9=5+ E7+5 7. H3+2# Try it on the board
- Variation 4, from move 5: 5. H3+2+ K6=5 6. R9=5# Try it on the board
- Variation 5, from move 1: C5-6 2. H8-6+ K6-1 3. R9+5+ C5-1 4. R9=5# Try it on the board
Final position
Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.
Questions about this puzzle
Who moves first in "No. 104: Going Straight and Getting One's Way"?
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 R6+2 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. 101: Thunder Shakes a Hundred Miles
- No. 102: Waiting at the Golden Gate for Dawn
- No. 103: Two Egrets Eye the Fish
- No. 105: Fighting Like Raging Fire
- No. 106: Army Marches Beyond the Pass
- No. 107: Phoenix Rises from Cinnabar Mountain
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
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