No. 48: Sleeping on Brushwood, Tasting Gall

No. 48: Sleeping on Brushwood, Tasting Gall楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象傌炮俥象炮士俥將士馬

"No. 48: Sleeping on Brushwood, Tasting Gall" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is C3+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 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, 2 Horses, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red C3+2 (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.
    1. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象傌炮俥象將士俥士炮馬
    1. Black K4+1
  2. 2. Red H5+7 (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.
    2. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象傌炮俥將象士俥士炮馬
    2. Black K4+1
  3. 3. Red H7+8 (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 K4-1 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮俥象傌將士俥士炮馬
    3. Black K4-1
  4. 4. Red R4=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot, 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.
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    • 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.
    4. Black A6+5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮俥象傌將士炮馬
    4. Black A6+5
  5. 5. Red C3=6 (sacrifices the Cannon)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Cannon; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    • Not forcing: the defender has 25 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    5. Black A5-4 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮俥象傌將士馬
    5. Black A5-4
  6. 6. Red R3+2 (check, the General has no escape square)
    Why it works
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6. Black H8+6 (threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮象傌將馬俥士
    6. Black H8+6
  7. 7. Red R3=4 (captures the Horse, 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.
    • Wins material: takes the Horse.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7. Black A4+5 (threatens mate next move)
    7楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮象傌將士俥
    7. Black A4+5
  8. 8. Red R4=5 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    8楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮象傌將俥
    8. Red R4=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥卒馬車相兵相象炮象傌將俥

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 48: Sleeping on Brushwood, Tasting Gall"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C3+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. 47: Frontier Guard Asks Leave to ReturnNext puzzle: No. 49: Striding Alone from the Camp →

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