No. 95: Forcing the King Up High

No. 95: Forcing the King Up High楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵傌將俥士象士

"No. 95: Forcing the King Up High" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Chariot & Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is R8-1. 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 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, a Chariot, 2 Horses, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R8-1 (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.
    1. Black A5+4
    1楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵傌俥士將象士
    1. Black A5+4
  2. 2. Red H7+6 (captures the Advisor, 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
    • Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    2. Black K5-1
    2楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥傌將象士
    2. Black K5-1
  3. 3. Red R8+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.
    3. Black K5+1
    3楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵傌將俥象士
    3. Black K5+1
  4. 4. Red H6+7 (captures the Elephant, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Elephant.
    • 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.
    4. Black K5=6
    4楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵將俥傌士
    4. Black K5=6
  5. 5. Red R8-1 (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.
    5. Black K6-1
    5楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    5. Black K6-1
  6. 6. Red R8-1 (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.
    6. Black K6+1
    6楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    6. Black K6+1
  7. 7. Red R8=4 (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.
    7. Black K6=5
    7楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    7. Black K6=5
  8. 8. Red R4=7 (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.
    8. Black K5=6
    8楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    8. Black K5=6
  9. 9. Red R7+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.
    9. Black K6-1
    9楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    9. Black K6-1
  10. 10. Red R7-2 (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.
    10. Black K6+1
    10楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    10. Black K6+1
  11. 11. Red R7=4 (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.
    11. Black K6=5
    11楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    11. Black K6=5
  12. 12. Red R4=5 (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.
    12. Black K5=6
    12楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥將傌士
    12. Black K5=6
  13. 13. Red H7-8
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    13. Black K6-1
    13楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥傌將士
    13. Black K6-1
  14. 14. Red H8-6 (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 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    14. Black A6+5
    14楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥傌士將
    14. Black A6+5
  15. 15. Red R5=4 (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.
    15. Black A5+6
    15楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵俥傌士將
    15. Black A5+6
  16. 16. Red R4+2 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    16楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵傌俥將
    16. Red R4+2

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相兵傌俥將

Red wins after 16 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 95: Forcing the King Up High"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Chariot & Horse mates.

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R8-1 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.

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