Victories All The Way Game 1

Further to our post of 8th August, here is the Victories All The Way's

Game No.1

“自”字   信手炮（共五局）
        第一局

 1. 炮八平五  炮２平５    2. 马八进七  马２进３
 3. 车九进一  车１平２    4. 车九平四  士６进５
 5. 车四进七  马８进９    6. 兵三进一  车２进６
 7. 马二进三  车２平３    8. 马三进四  卒３进１
 9. 马四进三  炮８平６   10. 马三进二  炮６平８
11. 车一进一  卒３进１   12. 车一平八  车９进１
13. 车八进七  卒３平４   14. 车四进一  士５退６
15. 马二退四  车９平６   16. 车八平四  士４进５
17. 车四进一  将５平６   18. 炮二平四  （1-0）

Game No.1

1. C8=5  C2=5
2. N8+7  N2+3
3. R9+1  R1=2
4. R9=4  G6+5

Notes & Interpretations

This is the "Same Direction Cannons （顺炮）with Vertical Rook (横车) versus Horizontal Rook (直车）" Opening. Black reinforces the centre with the Guard, here it is better to play 4. ... G4+5; another alternative move, 4. ... R2+4 with the Rook patrolling the River can also be considered.

5. R4+7  N8+9
6. P3+1  R2+6
7. N2+3  R2=3
8. N3+4  P3+1
9. N4+3  C8=6
10. N3+2

Notes & Interpretations

The position taken up by the Knight is also known as "Horse in the stable (卧槽马）"，comparable to the modern day's "Horse in the stable", having the same attacking power against the enemy's King.

10. ...   C6=8
11. R1+1  P3+1
12. R1=8  R9+1
13. R8+7! P3=4
14. R4+1

Notes & Interpretations

Black is making too much Pawn moves, thus handicapping the fuller play of other pieces, and this, in turn, allows Red to make a Rook sacrifice for the kill !

14. ...   G5-6
15. N2-4  R9=6
16. R8=4  G4+5
17. R4+1  K5=6
18. C2=4  Mate

Views & Impressions

In this opening Game No.1, the successful design of the attacking campaign is simply stunning, with checkmate coming several moves only after the first shot is fired. Red's 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th moves are difficult to imagine, they constitute a fine example of how to conduct a successful lightning attack at the start of the middle game, with most of the pieces still on the board. The two Rooks sacrifices is specially delightful for the connoisseurs! The last move C2=4 can also be replaced by the alternative C5=4! Black's single handed development of the right hand Rook, contrasted strongly with the underdevelopment of the major pieces in the left flank.

(Remark: Notes & Interpretations by Tu Jingming, Chief Editor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Chess; Views & Impressions by Lai)