No. 52: Carrying Snow to Fill a Well

No. 52: Carrying Snow to Fill a Well楚河 漢界車帥馬卒傌炮傌象炮象砲士俥士將車

"No. 52: Carrying Snow to Fill a Well" 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 C7+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, a Chariot, 2 Horses, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red C7+2 (check, sacrifices the Cannon, 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 Cannon; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black E1-3 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界車帥馬卒傌炮傌象砲士俥象士將車
    1. Black E1-3
  2. 2. Red R3+1 (check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • 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.
    2. Black R9=7 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界車帥馬卒傌炮傌象砲士象士將車
    2. Black R9=7
  3. 3. Red H8+7 (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楚河 漢界車帥馬卒炮傌象砲傌士象士將車
    3. Black K5=6
  4. 4. Red H1+3 (check, sacrifices the Horse, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • 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 R7+2 (captures the Horse, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界車帥馬卒炮象砲車傌士象士將
    4. Black R7+2
  5. 5. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5楚河 漢界車帥馬卒炮象砲車傌士象士將
    5. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界車帥馬卒炮象砲車傌士象士將

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 52: Carrying Snow to Fill a Well"?

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 C7+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. 51: Alighting to Kneel in HomageNext puzzle: No. 53: Opening the Window to Invite the Moon →

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