No. 67: Duck Snare and Fish Net

No. 67: Duck Snare and Fish Net楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌士兵兵士俥馬砲將炮

"No. 67: Duck Snare and Fish Net" 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 R3+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, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Chariot, 2 Horses, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R3+1 (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.
    1. Black A5-6 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌士兵兵馬砲將士俥炮
    1. Black A5-6
  2. 2. Red P6=5 (check, sacrifices the Soldier)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Soldier; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    2. Black K5+1 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌士兵將馬砲士俥炮
    2. Black K5+1
  3. 3. Red R3-1 (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.
    3. Black K5+1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌將士兵俥馬砲士炮
    3. Black K5+1
  4. 4. 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.
    4. Black K5=4 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌將士兵俥馬砲士炮
    4. Black K5=4
  5. 5. Red R3=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 H2+4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌將士兵馬砲士炮
    5. Black H2+4
  6. 6. Red C1=6 (captures the Cannon, checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    • Wins material: takes the Cannon.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌將士兵馬炮士
    6. Red C1=6

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒車馬傌將士兵馬炮士

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 67: Duck Snare and Fish Net"?

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 R3+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. 66: Giving One's Life in PerilNext puzzle: No. 68: Smashing the Cup at Hongmen →

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