91. Chariot and Horse Tie Down the King

91. Chariot and Horse Tie Down the King楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒俥相傌士將象

"91. Chariot and Horse Tie Down 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 R2+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 Advisors, a Elephant, a Chariot, a Horse. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Chariot, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red R2+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.
    1. Black K6-1
    1楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相傌士俥將象
    1. Black K6-1
  2. 2. Red R2+1 (check)
    2. Black K6+1
    2楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相傌士將俥象
    2. Black K6+1
  3. 3. Red H4+6 (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 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相傌士將俥象
    3. Black K6=5
  4. 4. Red R2=4 (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 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    4. Black A4-5
    4楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相傌將士俥象
    4. Black A4-5
  5. 5. Red R4-4
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    5. Black R2=3
    5楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥傌將士象
    5. Black R2=3
  6. 6. Red H6-4 (check)
    6. Black K5=6
    6楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥傌將士象
    6. Black K5=6
  7. 7. Red H4+2 (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 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥傌將士象
    7. Black K6=5
  8. 8. Red H2+3 (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 (threatens mate next move)
    8楚河 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥將士傌象
    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 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥將士傌象
    9. Red R4=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 漢界仕帥仕車卒卒相俥將士傌象

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "91. Chariot and Horse Tie Down 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 R2+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.

← Previous puzzle: Chariot Hidden Behind the HorseNext puzzle: 92. Horse and Chariot Before the King →

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