No. 95: Hero's Spirit Pierces the Dipper

"No. 95: Hero's Spirit Pierces the Dipper" 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 P3+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, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red P3+1 (check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
1. Black K6-1
1. Black K6-1
2. Red P3+1 (check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black K6+1
2. Black K6+1
3. Red +C=4 (sacrifices the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Gives up the Cannon; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
Not forcing: the defender has 31 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black -R+1 (captures the Cannon)
3. Black -R+1
4. Red C8+8 (captures the Horse, check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
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.
4. Black A5+4
4. Black A5+4
5. Red R5+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Red R5+6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 3 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 2: K6=5 3. H6+7+ K5=4 4. R5=6+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: 1. +C=4 H2+4 2. R5+6+ K6-1 3. P3+1 E7-9 4. P3=4+ H4-6 5. R5+1# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 1: K6-1 2. R5+6 E7-5 3. R5-1 -R+1 4. R5+2+ K6+1 5. P3+1# Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 95: Hero's Spirit Pierces the Dipper"?

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 P3+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. 94: Shouldering Books to Follow a Master Next puzzle: No. 96: Bravely Retreating from the Rapids →

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