Hands Bound, Awaiting Death 束手待毙
📚 Taolue Yuanji — a Ming-dynasty endgame manual
A xiangqi study from 韬略元机 第93局. Red to move to move — Red forces: King, Horse, Pawn; Black forces: King, Advisor ×2, Elephant, Horse. the classical books record: Red wins. Engine-verified — the winning side mates in 21 along the main line below.
✓ Engine-verified — The Fairy-Stockfish engine (NNUE) confirms Red wins in 21 moves — the final move leaves Black with no legal move (stalemate; under xiangqi rules, the side with no move loses). The main line was checked move by move, every move legal. Date checked: 2026-11-02.
- Source
- 韬略元机 第93局
- Book result
- Red wins
- Verification
- ✓ Engine-verified
- Side to move
- Red to move
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Red forces
- King, Horse, Pawn
- Black forces
- King, Advisor ×2, Elephant, Horse
- FEN
1nb6/1N1ka1P2/3a5/9/9/9/9/9/9/5K3 w- Transcribed from
- xqipu.comg.onegreen.netdpxq.com
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🧩 Open in SetupSolution
- 1.Red King 5,9→5,8Black Advisor 4,1→5,2
- 2.Red King 5,8→4,8Black Advisor 3,2→4,1
- 3.Red Pawn 6,1→5,1Black Advisor 4,1→3,2
- 4.Red Pawn 5,1→5,0Black Advisor 3,2→4,1
- 5.Red Pawn 5,0→4,0Black Advisor 4,1→3,2
- 6.Red Pawn 4,0→3,0Black Advisor 3,2→4,1
- 7.Red Pawn 3,0→2,0Black Advisor 4,1→5,0
- 8.Red Pawn 2,0→1,0Black Advisor 5,2→4,1
- 9.Red Pawn 1,0→2,0Black Advisor 4,1→5,2
- 10.Red Pawn 2,0→3,0Black Advisor 5,2→4,1
- 11.Red Pawn 3,0→4,0Black Advisor 4,1→5,2
- 12.Red Horse 1,1→2,3Black King 3,1→3,2
- 13.Red Horse 2,3→0,4Black Advisor 5,0→4,1
- 14.Red Horse 0,4→1,2Black Advisor 4,1→3,0
- 15.Red Pawn 4,0→3,0Black Advisor 5,2→4,1
- 16.Red Pawn 3,0→2,0Black Advisor 4,1→5,0
- 17.Red Pawn 2,0→1,0Black Advisor 5,0→4,1
- 18.Red Horse 1,2→2,0Black King 3,2→3,1
- 19.Red Horse 2,0→4,1Black King 3,1→3,0
- 20.Red Horse 4,1→5,3Black King 3,0→3,1
- 21.Red Pawn 1,0→2,0