No. 96: Bravely Retreating from the Rapids

"No. 96: Bravely Retreating from the Rapids" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 14 moves; the key first move is H2+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 Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red H2+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.
1. Black R6-4
1. Black R6-4
2. Red C9+3 (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.
2. Black E5-3
2. Black E5-3
3. Red R5=2 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black H7+5
3. Black H7+5
4. Red R2-4 (captures the Chariot)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Chariot.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black P4+1 (check, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
4. Black P4+1
5. Red R6-5 (captures the Soldier, sacrifices the Chariot)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
What to watch out for
Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black P5=4 (captures the Chariot, check)
5. Black P5=4
6. Red K6+1 (captures the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black R6=7 (captures the Horse)
6. Black R6=7
7. Red R2+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black R7+5
7. Black R7+5
8. Red R2+2 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black R7=4 (check, the only legal reply)
8. Black R7=4
9. Red K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 28 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black R4-5
9. Black R4-5
10. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black R4=2
10. Black R4=2
11. Red R2+1 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black R2+7 (check)
11. Black R2+7
12. Red K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black R2=6 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
12. Black R2=6
13. Red K4-1 (captures 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 Chariot.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
13. Black C6=7
13. Black C6=7
14. Red R2=3 (captures the Cannon, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Red R2=3

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 8 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 3: A5+4 4. C5-4+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: C6+1 2. C9+3+ E5-3 3. R6+3# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 1: 1. C9+3+ E5-3 2. R5=4+ H7+5 3. H2+3+ C6+1 4. R6+3# Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 2: A5+6 3. H2+3+ K5+1 4. H3-5+ K5=6 5. R6+2+ A4+5 6. R6=5# Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 3: C6+1 4. R6+3+ K5+1 5. R6=5+ Try it on the board
Variation 6, from move 2: A5+4 3. C5-4+ H7-5 4. H2+4+ C6+1 5. R6+1 R8+2+ 6. E5-3+ H5+6 7. R6+2+ K5+1 8. R6=5# Try it on the board
Variation 7, from move 3: R6=5 4. H2+3+ K5+1 5. R4+3 R8+2+ 6. E5-3+ R5+3 7. R4=5+ K5=4 8. R6+1+ Try it on the board
Variation 8, from move 3: +A-5 4. H2+3+ C6+1 5. R6+3# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 14 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 96: Bravely Retreating from the Rapids"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H2+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. 95: Hero's Spirit Pierces the Dipper Next puzzle: No. 97: One Against Ten Thousand →

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