No. 85: A Steed Is Not Prized for Strength

No. 85: A Steed Is Not Prized for Strength楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌俥傌士兵馬士將炮

"No. 85: A Steed Is Not Prized for Strength" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is P4+1. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

Solve this puzzle on ChessZing →

Free, in the browser, no download.

Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Chariot, 2 Horses, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red P4+1 (check, sacrifices the Soldier, 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 for
    • Gives up the Soldier; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black K5=6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌俥傌士馬士將炮
    1. Black K5=6
  2. 2. Red R5=4 (check, sacrifices the Chariot)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    2. Black A5+6 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌士傌馬士將炮
    2. Black A5+6
  3. 3. Red -H+3 (check)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • The Horse stands where it can be captured.
    3. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥車卒卒士傌傌將馬士炮
    3. Black K6+1
  4. 4. Red H3+2 (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.
    4. Black H9-7 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥車卒卒士傌將士馬傌炮
    4. Black H9-7
  5. 5. Red H1-3 (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 K6-1 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌士士將馬傌炮
    5. Black K6-1
  6. 6. Red H2-3 (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.
    6. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌士傌將士馬炮
    6. Black K6+1
  7. 7. Red +H-1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7楚河 漢界帥車卒卒傌傌士將士馬炮
    7. Red +H-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 漢界帥車卒卒傌傌士將士馬炮

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 85: A Steed Is Not Prized for Strength"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P4+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. 84: Two Dragonflies Skim the WaterNext puzzle: No. 86: Strategy Decides Victory →

Nearby puzzles

More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →

Languages: English · Tiếng Việt · 简体中文 · 繁體中文