3. Piece-Winning Tactics 73

"3. Piece-Winning Tactics 73" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) tactic from the collection Winning material. Black moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is C4-1. 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 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Horse, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Black C4-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Cannon stands where it can be captured.
1. Red R2-1
1. Red R2-1
2. Black R2-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Red C6+7 (captures the Cannon)
2. Red C6+7
3. Black R2=4 (captures the Horse, 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.
Wins material: takes the Horse.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Red A5+6
3. Red A5+6
4. Black R4+2 (captures the Advisor, 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.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
4. Red R2=6
4. Red R2=6
5. Black R4+1 (captures the Chariot, check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Chariot.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
The Chariot stands where it can be captured.
5. Black R4+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: R2=4 2. R2-2 R4+2 3. H3-2 C6+7 4. K5=4 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "3. Piece-Winning Tactics 73"?

Black moves first, as in every puzzle of Winning material.

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C4-1 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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