No. 40: Decisions from the Ninefold Palace

"No. 40: Decisions from the Ninefold Palace" 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 P7+1. 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 Chariots, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Horses, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red P7+1 (check)
1. Black K4-1 (threatens mate next move)
1. Black K4-1
2. Red P7+1 (captures the Elephant, check)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black K4=5 (threatens mate next move)
2. Black K4=5
3. Red +R+1 (captures the Cannon, check, sacrifices the Chariot, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
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.
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H3-5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
3. Black H3-5
4. Red R5+2 (captures the Horse, check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
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. Black A4-5
5. Red R5+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.
5. Black A6+5 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
5. Black A6+5
6. Red C1+3 (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.
6. Black H8+6 (threatens mate next move)
6. Black H8+6
7. Red C2+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Red C2+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: K4=5 2. +R+1+ H3-5 3. R5+2+ E3+5 4. C1=5+ E5-7 5. P7=6+ K5-1 6. C5=4+ A6+5 7. P6=5+ A4-5 8. R5+5+ K5=4 9. R5+1+ K4+1 10. C4+2+ K4+1 11. R5=6# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 5: K5=4 6. C5=6# 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. 40: Decisions from the Ninefold Palace"?

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 P7+1 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. 39: Burning the Camp at Bowang Next puzzle: No. 41: Subduing the Distant Court →

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