No. 11: Rats Fight for the Hole

No. 11: Rats Fight for the Hole楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌炮砲車俥象俥砲兵將象

"No. 11: Rats Fight for the Hole" 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 R7+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 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R7+2 (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.
    • 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.
    1. Black E5-3 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    1楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌炮砲車俥砲兵象將象
    1. Black E5-3
  2. 2. Red R2=6 (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 C1=4 (captures the Chariot, threatens mate next move)
    2楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌炮車砲砲兵象將象
    2. Black C1=4
  3. 3. 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.
    3. Black E7+5 (threatens mate next move)
    3楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌車砲象砲兵象將炮
    3. Black E7+5
  4. 4. Red C8=6 (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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    4. Black C4=3 (threatens mate next move)
    4楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌車砲象砲兵象將炮
    4. Black C4=3
  5. 5. Red H4+6 (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.
    • Takes away the General's escape squares.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    5. Black C3=4 (threatens mate next move)
    5楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌車砲象砲兵象將炮
    5. Black C3=4
  6. 6. Red H6+5 (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 C4=3 (threatens mate next move)
    6楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮傌車砲象砲兵象將炮
    6. Black C4=3
  7. 7. Red H5+6 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    7楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮車砲傌象砲兵象將炮
    7. Red H5+6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界卒帥卒車炮車砲傌象砲兵象將炮

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 11: Rats Fight for the Hole"?

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 R7+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.

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