No. 74: Climbing High, Treading Danger

"No. 74: Climbing High, Treading Danger" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 11 moves; the key first move is R6-3. 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, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Advisor, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red R6-3 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K6+1
1. Black K6+1
2. Red R6=4 (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.
2. Black R2=6 (captures the Chariot)
2. Black R2=6
3. Red R7=2 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 34 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black R5=4 (check, threatens mate next move)
3. Black R5=4
4. Red K6+1 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Chariot.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 27 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black P4+1 (check)
4. Black P4+1
5. Red K6+1 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black R6=4 (check, the only legal reply)
5. Black R6=4
6. Red K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black R4-3
6. Black R4-3
7. Red R2-8 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black E5+7
7. Black E5+7
8. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black R4=1 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
8. Black R4=1
9. Red R2=4 (captures the Soldier, 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.
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black K6=5
9. Black K6=5
10. Red P5+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.
10. Black K5=4
10. Black K5=4
11. Red R4=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Red R4=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: A5+4 2. R7-1+ K6+1 3. R6=8 E5+3 4. R8=7 P4+1 5. -R=4+ K6=5 6. C9-1+ A4-5 7. R7-1+ A5+4 8. R7-5+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: R2-3 2. R6=4# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 1: 1. R6-5+ A5+4 2. R7-9 P6+1 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 11 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 74: Climbing High, Treading Danger"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R6-3 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. 73: Fish Leaps in the Deep Next puzzle: No. 75: The Mighty Chief Yields in His Heart →

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