No. 60: Tiger and Rhino Escape the Cage

"No. 60: Tiger and Rhino Escape the Cage" 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 H1+2. 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 Advisors, a Elephant, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Chariot, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red H1+2 (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
1. Black A5-6
2. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 25 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black P8=7
2. Black P8=7
3. Red H2-3 (check)
3. Black A6+5
3. Black A6+5
4. Red H3+4 (check, sacrifices the Horse, 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 for
Gives up the Horse; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
4. Black K5=6 (captures the Horse)
4. Black K5=6
5. Red P4+1 (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=5
5. Black K6=5
6. Red P4+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Red P4+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: K5+1 3. H2-3 K5=4 4. H3+4+ K4=5 5. P4=5# Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 60: Tiger and Rhino Escape the Cage"?

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 H1+2 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. 59: Shifting Forms, Appearing and Vanishing Next puzzle: No. 61: Tigers Fight over the Meal →

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No. 62: Nowhere to Plead One's Case
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