The King's Retreat Is Masterful

"The King's Retreat Is Masterful" 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 R4=5. 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 Chariot, a Horse. Black has a General, a Chariot, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red R4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black R8=3
1. Black R8=3
2. Red K4-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black P4=3
2. Black P4=3
3. Red R5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K4-1
3. Black K4-1
4. Red H5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black K4+1
4. Black K4+1
5. Red H3+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black R3+3
5. Black R3+3
6. Red R5=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K4=5 (threatens mate next move)
6. Black K4=5
7. Red H4-5 (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.
7. Black K5-1
7. Black K5-1
8. Red R8-1 (check)
8. Black K5+1
8. Black K5+1
9. Red H5+3 (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.
9. Black K5=4
9. Black K5=4
10. Red R8=5 (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 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black R3=6 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
10. Black R3=6
11. Red K4=5 (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 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black R6-3
11. Black R6-3
12. Red R5-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black P3=4 (check)
12. Black P3=4
13. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black R6=4 (threatens mate next move)
13. Black R6=4
14. Red H3+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.
14. Black K4-1 (threatens mate next move)
14. Black K4-1
15. Red R5+3 (check)
15. Black K4+1 (threatens mate next move)
15. Black K4+1
16. Red R5=9 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Red R5=9

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 6 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 8: K5-1 9. H5+6+ K5=4 10. R8=5 R3-4 11. H6+4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 6: R3-4 7. R8=6+ K4=5 8. R6=5+ K5=4 9. R5-1 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 4: R3=6+ 5. K4=5 R6+1 6. R5-3 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 3: R3=8 4. H5+7+ K4-1 5. H7+8+ K4+1 6. H8+7+ K4-1 7. R5-1+ K4-1 8. H7-6 Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 3: R3+2 4. H5+4+ K4-1 5. R5-1+ K4-1 6. H4+2 Try it on the board
Variation 6, from move 2: 2. R5+1 P4=5 3. K4=5 P5=6 4. K5=4 P6=7 5. K4=5 Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "The King's Retreat Is Masterful"?

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 R4=5 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 and Horse Bully the Chariot Next puzzle: Double Mate Threat With No Defense →

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