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A Xiangqi problem

diagram
Red to play and win. Red has a pawn and an elephant, and black has a mandarin. Problem from Variant Chess and a book of C. K. Lai.

Solution

Red has a bishop which covers the central file, allowing the king to move left or right, hence the king and pawn can get control of the vital d and f files, thereby securing final victory.
  1. e8 Ge9
  2. Ke1! Gf0
  3. d8 Kd0
  4. Kd1, Ge9
  5. d9+ Ke0
  6. Ke1, Gd1
  7. Kf0! Ge9
  8. Bc5 Gd0 (if ... Gf8, then 9Kf2, Kf0 10 e9 wins)
  9. Kf2 Ge9
  10. Ke2 Kf0
  11. dxe9

Written by Hans Bodlaender.
WWW page created: October 21, 2001.