92. Horse and Chariot Before the King

92. Horse and Chariot Before the King楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵傌將士士

"92. Horse and Chariot Before the King" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Chariot & Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is H8-6. 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 Chariot, 2 Horses, a Cannon, 3 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. 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 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    1. Black K5=4
    1楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵傌將士士
    1. Black K5=4
  2. 2. Red R1=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 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    2. Black K4=5
    2楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵傌將士士
    2. Black K4=5
  3. 3. Red R6=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.
    3. Black K5=4
    3楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵傌將士士
    3. Black K5=4
  4. 4. Red H6+4
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    4. Black A4+5
    4楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將傌士士
    4. Black A4+5
  5. 5. Red R5=6 (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 K4=5
    5楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將傌士士
    5. Black K4=5
  6. 6. Red H4+5
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    6. Black K5=6
    6楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將士傌士
    6. Black K5=6
  7. 7. Red R6=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.
    7. Black K6=5
    7楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將士傌士
    7. Black K6=5
  8. 8. Red H5-7 (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.
    8. Black K5=4
    8楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將傌士士
    8. Black K5=4
  9. 9. Red R4=6 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    9楚河 漢界馬帥砲車馬卒卒相卒兵相俥兵將傌士士
    9. Red R4=6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 3 variations. 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俥兵將傌士士

Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "92. Horse and Chariot Before the King"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H8-6 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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