No. 55: Victory with Backs to the River

"No. 55: Victory with Backs to the River" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is R6=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 Chariot, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons, 3 Soldiers. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Chariot, 2 Horses, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red R6=5 (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 A6-5 (threatens mate next move)
1. Black A6-5
2. Red R5-1 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
2. Black H7-5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
2. Black H7-5
3. Red C1=5 (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=6 (threatens mate next move)
3. Black K5=6
4. Red -P+1 (check, sacrifices the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
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.
4. Black H5+6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
4. Black H5+6
5. Red C9=4 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H6+8 (captures the Horse, threatens mate next move)
5. Black H6+8
6. Red C4-3 (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.
6. Black K6=5 (threatens mate next move)
6. Black K6=5
7. Red P4=5 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Red P4=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 5: H6+4 6. C4-3+ K6=5 7. P4=5+ K5=4 8. C5=6+ K4=5 9. H4+3+ K5=6 10. H3-5+ K6=5 11. C6=5# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 55: Victory with Backs to the River"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R6=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. 54: Five Tigers Backed by the Mountain Next puzzle: No. 56: All Rivers Flow to the Sea →

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