No. 98: Jiang Ziya Fishes on the Wei

No. 98: Jiang Ziya Fishes on the Wei楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象俥炮士傌將士

"No. 98: Jiang Ziya Fishes on the Wei" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is R9+3. 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 Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R9+3 (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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    1. Black A5-4 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象炮傌俥士將士
    1. Black A5-4
  2. 2. Red C8+3 (check)
    2. Black A4+5 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象士傌俥炮將士
    2. Black A4+5
  3. 3. Red C8-2 (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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    3. Black A5-4 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象炮傌俥士將士
    3. Black A5-4
  4. 4. Red H4-6 (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.
    4. Black K5+1 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象炮傌將俥士士
    4. Black K5+1
  5. 5. Red R9-1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象炮傌俥將士士
    5. Red R9-1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥馬車車卒卒象兵象炮傌俥將士士

Red wins after 5 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 98: Jiang Ziya Fishes on the Wei"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R9+3 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. 97: One Against Ten ThousandNext puzzle: No. 99: Raiding the Enemy Camp by Night →

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