No. 78: Churning Rivers and Seas

No. 78: Churning Rivers and Seas楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲傌馬俥車炮將

"No. 78: Churning Rivers and Seas" 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 R7=4. 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 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R7=4 (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 K6=5
    1楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲傌馬俥車炮將
    1. Black K6=5
  2. 2. Red R4=5 (check)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • The Chariot stands where it can be captured.
    2. Black K5=6
    2楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲傌馬俥車炮將
    2. Black K5=6
  3. 3. Red R5+2 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    3. Black K6=5 (captures the Chariot)
    3楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲傌馬車炮將
    3. Black K6=5
  4. 4. Red H5+4 (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.
    4. Black K5=6
    4楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲馬傌車炮將
    4. Black K5=6
  5. 5. Red H4+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.
    5. Black K6+1
    5楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲馬將傌車炮
    5. Black K6+1
  6. 6. Red H2-3 (check)
    6. Black K6-1
    6楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲傌馬車炮將
    6. Black K6-1
  7. 7. Red H3+5 (check)
    7. Black K6+1
    7楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥砲馬傌將車炮
    7. Black K6+1
  8. 8. Red H5+6 (check)
    8. Black C5-6
    8楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥馬將車炮傌砲
    8. Black C5-6
  9. 9. Red R9=4 (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.
    9. Black K6=5
    9楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥馬將車炮傌砲
    9. Black K6=5
  10. 10. Red H6-7 (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.
    10. Black K5+1 (threatens mate next move)
    10楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥馬傌將車炮砲
    10. Black K5+1
  11. 11. Red H7-6 (check)
    11. Black K5-1
    11楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥傌馬將車炮砲
    11. Black K5-1
  12. 12. Red H6+4 (check)
    12. Black K5+1
    12楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥傌馬將車炮砲
    12. Black K5+1
  13. 13. Red R4=5 (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.
    13. Black K5=6
    13楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥傌馬將車炮砲
    13. Black K5=6
  14. 14. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    14楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥傌馬將車炮砲
    14. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥車馬炮俥傌馬將車炮砲

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 78: Churning Rivers and Seas"?

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 R7=4 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.

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