No. 9: Sacred Tortoise Rises from the Luo River
"No. 9: Sacred Tortoise Rises from the Luo River" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570). Red moves first and wins in 10 moves; the key first move is H1+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, a Elephant, 2 Chariots, a Horse, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Cannons, 3 Soldiers.
Solution move by move
- 1. Red H1+21. Black K6=5
1. Black K6=5 - 2. Red H2-4Why it works
- Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for2. Black K5+12. Black K5+1 - 3. Red H4-6Why it works
- Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for- Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K5=63. Black K5=6 - 4. Red R2+8Why 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 for4. Black K6-14. Black K6-1 - 5. Red R2+1Why 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 for5. Black K6+15. Black K6+1 - 6. Red H6+76. Black A4+5
6. Black A4+5 - 7. Red H7-5Why it worksWhat to watch out for
- Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A5+47. Black A5+4 - 8. Red R2=4Why 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 for8. Black K6=58. Black K6=5 - 9. Red C1=59. Black K5+1
9. Black K5+1 - 10. Red P6=5Why it works
- Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out for10. Red P6=5
Variations and alternative defences
The source manual records 7 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.
- Variation 1, from move 7: A5-4 8. R2=4+ K6=5 9. H5+7# Try it on the board
- Variation 2, from move 3: C1=4 4. R2+8+ K5-1 5. H6+4+ K5=6 6. C1=4+ H5-6 7. R1+9# Try it on the board
- Variation 3, from move 4: K5+1 5. C8-1+ C4-1 6. R2-1# Try it on the board
- Variation 4, from move 3: K5=4 4. H6+7+ K4+1 5. P6+1# Try it on the board
- Variation 5, from move 3: K5+1 4. H6-4+ K5-1 5. R2+8+ K5-1 6. R2+1+ K5+1 7. H4+6+ K5=6 8. H6+7+ Try it on the board
- Variation 6, from move 4: K5=4 5. C1=6+ H5-4 6. P6+1+ K4-1 7. R2+8+ A4+5 8. R2=5+ K4-1 9. R1+9# Try it on the board
- Variation 7, from move 4: K5=6 5. C1=4+ H5-6 6. H4+6+ K6-1 7. R2+8+ K6-1 8. R1+9# Try it on the board
Final position
Red wins after 10 moves. The General has no legal move.
Questions about this puzzle
Who moves first in "No. 9: Sacred Tortoise Rises from the Luo River"?
Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570).
How many moves does the solution take?
10 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.
What is the key move?
The first move H1+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.
Nearby puzzles
- No. 6: Fly Rides the Steed's Tail
- No. 7: Spring Thunder Wakes the Insects
- No. 8: Pearl Hidden in the Casket
- No. 10: Mandarin Ducks Play in the Water
- No. 11: Rats Fight for the Hole
- No. 12: Tumbling Ape Drinks from the Stream
More from Elegant Pastimes (Shiqing Yaqu, 1570) →
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