📚 Xinwu Canbian — a Ming-dynasty endgame manual
Red to move. Red has two Rooks — the two strongest pieces — plus a Pawn and both Elephants; Black has no Rook at all, only a Cannon, four Pawns and an Advisor–Elephant palace guard. The classical manual Tâm Võ Tàn Biên (No. 21) gives the win to Red. This position has not been verified by engine; the result follows the old book. The name 'a single sabre to the banquet' recalls Quan Vũ walking alone, blade in hand, into Lỗ Túc's feast with 500 executioners hidden behind the curtains — and strolling out again holding his host's hand. The story is told in this page's Anecdotes section. In your view, when the enemy is left with only Cannons and Pawns, what is the cleanest, surest 'single-sabre' way for Red's two Rooks to finish the game?
Alone with one blade at the enemy's feast — and he left holding the host's hand
A rival's banquet, with 500 hidden swordsmen waiting behind the curtains. The guest arrived by small boat, bringing only one blade-bearer and a few attendants — drank, laughed, outfaced the host at his own table, and left by… gripping the host's hand and walking him all the way to the riverbank. In…
Stories around this position — storytelling, not part of the engine-verified content.
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