No. 102: Waiting at the Golden Gate for Dawn

"No. 102: Waiting at the Golden Gate for Dawn" 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 R1+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, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red R1+1 (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 forNo real drawback in this position.
1. Black E5-7 (threatens mate next move)
1. Black E5-7
2. Red C8+3 (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 forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black E1-3 (threatens mate next move)
2. Black E1-3
3. Red R1=3 (captures the Elephant, check, 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 Elephant.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black A5-6 (threatens mate next move)
3. Black A5-6
4. Red R3=4 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
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.
4. Black K5=6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
4. Black K5=6
5. Red P3=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.
5. Black K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
5. Black K6=5
6. Red R9=5 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Red R9=5

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 1: A5-6 2. R1=4+ K5=6 3. P3=4+ K6=5 4. C8=5+ A4+5 5. P4=5+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: E5-3 5. R9=5# 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. 102: Waiting at the Golden Gate for Dawn"?

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 R1+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. 101: Thunder Shakes a Hundred Miles Next puzzle: No. 103: Two Egrets Eye the Fish →

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