No. 59: Shifting Forms, Appearing and Vanishing

No. 59: Shifting Forms, Appearing and Vanishing楚河 漢界帥炮卒炮傌車俥砲兵士象將士車

"No. 59: Shifting Forms, Appearing and Vanishing" 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 C9+8. 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, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red C9+8 (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 E3+1 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥卒炮傌車象俥砲兵士炮將士車
    1. Black E3+1
  2. 2. Red P6+1 (check, sacrifices the Soldier, 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 Soldier; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    2. Black K5=4 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥卒炮傌車象俥砲士炮將士車
    2. Black K5=4
  3. 3. Red R4=6 (check, sacrifices the Chariot)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    3. Black A5+4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒炮傌車象士砲炮將士車
    3. Black A5+4
  4. 4. Red C2=6 (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.
    4. Black A4-5 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒炮傌車象砲士炮將士車
    4. Black A4-5
  5. 5. Red H4+6 (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.
    5. Black R7=4 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒炮車象傌砲士炮將士車
    5. Black R7=4
  6. 6. Red H6+7 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界帥卒炮車象砲士炮傌將士車
    6. Red H6+7

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 漢界帥卒炮車象砲士炮傌將士車

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 59: Shifting Forms, Appearing and Vanishing"?

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 C9+8 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. 58: Two Sages, Within and WithoutNext puzzle: No. 60: Tiger and Rhino Escape the Cage →

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