No. 93: Fish Startled by the Crescent Hook

No. 93: Fish Startled by the Crescent Hook楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌馬砲俥兵象炮俥將象車

"No. 93: Fish Startled by the Crescent Hook" 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 +R+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 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red +R+1 (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.
    1. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌馬砲俥兵象炮將俥象車
    1. Black K4+1
  2. 2. Red H8+7 (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 H1-3 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌砲俥兵馬象炮將俥象車
    2. Black H1-3
  3. 3. Red -R+2 (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.
    3. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌砲兵馬將象炮俥俥象車
    3. Black K4+1
  4. 4. Red +R=6 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    4. Black H3-4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌砲兵將象炮俥馬象車
    4. Black H3-4
  5. 5. Red R4=6 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, 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 for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    5. Black C4-2 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌兵將象炮砲馬象車
    5. Black C4-2
  6. 6. Red H7-5 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌兵將象炮砲馬象車
    6. Red H7-5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界砲相仕帥卒卒相仕傌兵將象炮砲馬象車

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 93: Fish Startled by the Crescent Hook"?

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 +R+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. 92: Five Strongmen Carve the RoadNext puzzle: No. 94: Shouldering Books to Follow a Master →

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