No. 34: Stealing Leisure Amid Haste

No. 34: Stealing Leisure Amid Haste楚河 漢界帥仕相砲卒仕卒車炮炮兵傌卒馬象兵士俥象將士俥

"No. 34: Stealing Leisure Amid Haste" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 12 moves; the key first move is C8+7. 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 Advisors, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red C8+7 (check, 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 forNo real drawback in this position.
    1. Black E3+1 (threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界帥仕相砲卒仕卒車炮兵傌卒象馬象兵士俥炮將士俥
    1. Black E3+1
  2. 2. Red R4=5 (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 K5+1 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界帥仕相砲卒仕卒車炮兵傌卒象馬象兵將炮士俥
    2. Black K5+1
  3. 3. Red P4+1 (check, sacrifices the Soldier)
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Soldier; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    3. Black K5=6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界帥仕相砲卒仕卒車炮兵傌卒象馬象將炮士俥
    3. Black K5=6
  4. 4. Red R3-1 (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.
    4. Black K6+1 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界帥仕相砲卒仕卒車炮兵傌卒象馬象將俥炮士
    4. Black K6+1
  5. 5. Red C5+4 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Soldier.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 28 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    5. Black P6+1 (captures the Advisor, check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
    5楚河 漢界帥卒相砲卒仕車兵傌炮象馬象將俥炮士
    5. Black P6+1
  6. 6. Red A5-4 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Soldier.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 27 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    • The Advisor stands where it can be captured.
    6. Black P4+1 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
    6楚河 漢界卒帥仕相砲車兵傌炮象馬象將俥炮士
    6. Black P4+1
  7. 7. Red K5=6 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Soldier.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 28 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    7. Black R9=4 (check)
    7楚河 漢界帥仕相砲車兵傌炮象馬象將俥炮士
    7. Black R9=4
  8. 8. Red K6+1 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Chariot.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    8. Black C9-6
    8楚河 漢界仕相帥兵傌炮砲象馬象將俥炮士
    8. Black C9-6
  9. 9. Red R3-2 (threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    9. Black E5+7
    9楚河 漢界仕相帥兵象傌炮俥砲象馬將炮士
    9. Black E5+7
  10. 10. Red C5=1 (captures the Cannon, check)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Cannon.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    10. Black K6=5
    10楚河 漢界仕相帥兵象傌俥炮象馬將炮士
    10. Black K6=5
  11. 11. Red R3=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.
    11. Black K5=6
    11楚河 漢界仕相帥兵象傌俥炮象馬將炮士
    11. Black K5=6
  12. 12. Red R5+2 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    12楚河 漢界仕相帥兵象傌炮象馬將俥炮士
    12. Red R5+2

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界仕相帥兵象傌炮象馬將俥炮士

Red wins after 12 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 34: Stealing Leisure Amid Haste"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C8+7 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. 33: Plans Decide Battles a Thousand Miles AwayNext puzzle: No. 35: Dragon Churns the Pool's Depths →

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