No. 12: Tumbling Ape Drinks from the Stream

No. 12: Tumbling Ape Drinks from the Stream楚河 漢界帥炮俥車砲象車傌士俥炮將士象

"No. 12: Tumbling Ape Drinks from the Stream" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is R4+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, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R4+5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Gives up the Chariot; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
    1. Black K5=6 (captures the Chariot)
    1楚河 漢界帥炮車砲象車傌士俥炮將象
    1. Black K5=6
  2. 2. Red H8+6 (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.
    2. Black R3-2
    2楚河 漢界帥炮砲象車士俥炮車傌將象
    2. Black R3-2
  3. 3. Red R2=4 (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 K6=5
    3楚河 漢界帥炮砲象車士俥炮車傌將象
    3. Black K6=5
  4. 4. Red C2+7 (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.
    4. Black A5-6
    4楚河 漢界帥砲象車俥炮車傌將士象炮
    4. Black A5-6
  5. 5. Red R4+1 (captures the Advisor, 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 Advisor.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5. Black K5+1
    5楚河 漢界帥砲象車將炮車傌俥象炮
    5. Black K5+1
  6. 6. Red R4-1 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    6楚河 漢界帥砲象車將俥炮車傌象炮
    6. Red R4-1

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 5 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥砲象車將俥炮車傌象炮

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 12: Tumbling Ape Drinks from the Stream"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R4+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. 11: Rats Fight for the HoleNext puzzle: No. 13: Eyes on the Rushing Torrent →

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