No. 77: Two Butterflies Tumble in the Wind
"No. 77: Two Butterflies Tumble in the Wind" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 21 moves; the key first move is R7+6. 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 Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red R7+6Why 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 for1. Black K5+11. Black K5+1 - 2. Red R8+5Why 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 for2. Black K5+12. Black K5+1 - 3. Red C9+7Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for3. Black A4-53. Black A4-5 - 4. Red R7-2Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for4. Black A5+44. Black A5+4 - 5. Red R7-1Why 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 for5. Black A4-55. Black A4-5 - 6. Red R8-1Why 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 for6. Black A5+46. Black A5+4 - 7. Red R7=5Why 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 for7. Black K5=67. Black K5=6 - 8. Red R8-1Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for8. Black A4-58. Black A4-5 - 9. Red R5=4Why 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 for9. Black K6=59. Black K6=5 - 10. Red R8=5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out for10. Black K5=410. Black K5=4 - 11. Red R5=6Why 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 for11. Black K4=511. Black K4=5 - 12. Red R4=5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out for12. Black K5=612. Black K5=6 - 13. Red R6+1Why 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 for13. Black K6-113. Black K6-1 - 14. Red R5=4Why 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 for14. Black A5+614. Black A5+6 - 15. Red R4+1Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for15. Black K6=515. Black K6=5 - 16. Red R4=5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out for16. Black K5=616. Black K5=6 - 17. Red R6+1Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
- Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for17. Black A6+517. Black A6+5 - 18. Red R5+1Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for18. Black K6-118. Black K6-1 - 19. Red R5=4Why 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 for19. Black K6=519. Black K6=5 - 20. Red R6=5Why it works
- Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out for20. Black K5=420. Black K5=4 - 21. Red R4+1Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out for21. Red R4+1
Variations and alternative defences
The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.
- Variation 1, from move 8: K6-1 9. R8+2+ Try it on the board
- Variation 2, from move 2: 2. R7-1+ K5+1 3. C9+7+ A4-5 4. R8+4+ A5+4 5. R8-5+ A4-5 6. R7-1+ A5+4 7. R7-2+ A4-5 8. R8=5+ R7=5 9. R7=5+ R9=5 10. R5+3+ K5=4 11. R5=6# Try it on the board
Final position
Red wins after 21 moves. The General has no legal move.
Questions about this puzzle
Who moves first in "No. 77: Two Butterflies Tumble in the Wind"?
Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570).
How many moves does the solution take?
21 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.
What is the key move?
The first move R7+6 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.
Nearby puzzles
- No. 74: Climbing High, Treading Danger
- No. 75: The Mighty Chief Yields in His Heart
- No. 76: Languid Orioles, Idle Butterflies
- No. 78: Churning Rivers and Seas
- No. 79: Four and Seven Side by Side
- No. 80: Soldiers Scattered Like Stars
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
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