No. 63: Wheels of the Leading Carriage

No. 63: Wheels of the Leading Carriage楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒俥傌炮兵炮士將士車車

"No. 63: Wheels of the Leading Carriage" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is P4=5. 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 Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red P4=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.
    1. Black A4+5 (captures the Soldier)
    1楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒俥傌炮士炮將士車車
    1. Black A4+5
  2. 2. Red R9+4 (check, 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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    2. Black A5-4
    2楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒傌炮炮俥士將士車車
    2. Black A5-4
  3. 3. Red C7=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 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    • The Cannon stands where it can be captured.
    3. Black A6+5
    3楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒傌士炮炮俥士將車車
    3. Black A6+5
  4. 4. Red R9=6 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot, 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.
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    • 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.
    4. Black A5-4 (captures the Chariot)
    4楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒傌炮炮士將車車
    4. Black A5-4
  5. 5. Red H8-6 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒傌炮炮士將車車
    5. Red H8-6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 1 variation. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥馬卒相卒傌炮炮士將車車

Red wins after 5 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 63: Wheels of the Leading Carriage"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P4=5 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. 62: Nowhere to Plead One's CaseNext puzzle: No. 64: Turning the Weapons Around →

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