Chinese Chess Tutorial #4
By Jenkins Tsang Centre cannon openings The centre-cannon opening is frequently employed by players of all kinds of skill levels. As mentioned in previous tutorials, the centre cannon provides you with an immediate threat towards your opponent‟s king and limits your opponent‟s choices of answering moves. In this tutorial I wish to discuss the 3 most popular ways to answer the centre cannon opening, and provide a variation or two of each answering. The three most popular answers to centre cannon are “smooth cannon” 順手炮, “antipalace horse” 反宮馬 and “screen horse” 屏風馬.
rib line for the horizontal car‟s only opening. But red has really no point of weakness on his 4th line for the black car to attack. Instead, black settles for the vertical car opening. Some black will also attempt moves such as H2+3, P7+1 or P3+1. These are different stories and hopefully will be discussed in future tutorials. 4. 5. R1=6 R6+7 R8+6 (c) H2+1...... (d)
c) With R1=6, red attempts to use his car to attack black‟s untouched right wing. Meanwhile, black moves R8+6 with the hope of eventually making the move R8=7, which gains him a pawn and limits the movement of red‟s right horse as well as the 2 red cannons. d) Red moves R6+7, planning to go R6=8 to pin black‟s right horse if black still doesn‟t mobilize his right wing. Black recognizes this thread and moves H2+1. Black can also consider H2+3, which should be the better move. If red follows with R6=7?, black can C2+2, which threatens with C2=3 if red eats horse. If red follows by moving his left horse, 7 pawn or left cannon, black can then H7-5 and can follow with moves like C2=6, which threatens red‟s car, or C2=7, which threatens red‟s right horse. 6. P9=1 R8=7...... (e) (Figure)
1.
Smooth Cannon
The smooth cannon is all about counter attack by black versus attack by red, and has very complex variations. The smooth cannon involves establishing a centre cannon that is from the same side of the chessboard as red‟s centre cannon. One side will be using the vertical car, while the other will probably employ the horizontal car. Here is a very old variation of smooth cannon opening: 1. 2. 3. C2=5 H2+3 R1+1 C8=5 H8+7 (a) R9=8 (b)......
a) Actually at this point black has the option of R9+1, forcing red to go with the vertical car, which may or may not be a bad thing. It all depends on how the players are familiar with each kind of variation. Of course, there will no such story if red moved R1+1 in move #2. b) Red chooses to go with the horizontal car. There isn‟t much point for black to use the horizontal car at this moment. Red, at move 4, will move R1=6, which leave black with his left
e) Red‟s P9+1 is a great move. It keeps limiting the mobility of black‟s right wing. It also creates an opening for red‟s left horse, a path that will not hinder the defense of the right horse by the 2 cannons. Black sticks to his game plan and eat red‟s 3-pawn. He plans to advance his 7 pawn to threaten red‟s right wing. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. H8+9 R9+1 R9=4 R4+7 (f) H9+8! (g) P7+1 P7+1 R7=8 P7+1 C2+5 (h)
the left rib car black can simply go K5+1 eating the middle car, but of course red wouldn‟t have eaten the middle advisor without his left rib car).
f) While black still hopes to start some counter attack with his 7-pawn, red has already mobilized his left car to a key location. g) By the time black‟s 7-pawn really threatens red‟s right horse, red can already smell blood. He seizes the opportunity and moves H9+8, giving up his left cannon as well. Black can hardly prevent red‟s horse from e.g. going H8+6, H6+4 and H4+3 and then checkmate (see later). h) Black really can‟t do much here. He chooses to take the bait. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. H8+6 C5=3 H6+5 A6+5 (i) H5+3 R8-5 (j) R4=5 (k) K5=6 R6+1 checkmate 2. Anti-palace Horse
i) Black must move an advisor or otherwise red checkmates with R6+1. j) Red is planning to unblock his horse by retreating his right rib car, leading to checkmate. Black moves his car back, which seems to limit the motions of black‟s car-horse for the time being. k) But red unleashes the double check – a very powerful, underrated weapon. With the support of the left rib car, red wipes out the central advisor. Note that black has to answer both the check from the horse and the middle car. Black cannon move, say, A4+5 to kill the middle car, because the horse is still giving check (Without
The anti-palace horse for black involves the following three moves: H2+3, C8=6 then H8+7 using the right horse to defend the middle pawn. The left horse provides masked defense to the middle pawn, while the left cannon moves to the left rib line for both offensive and defensive purposes. Personally I hardly ever use this opening, only because I have never studied its variations. However, Dennis Cheng, possibly the best player in this club, loves this opening. Chinese Chess Grandmaster Hu Rong-Hwa, the inventor of this opening, has written a book about it and we have a copy of it in our library. I will also ask Dennis to share his insights of anti-palace horse with everyone.
have little room for maneuvering or counterattacking. Piece inter-protection is no where as good as in anti-palace cannon, and as a result it seems very easy for red to chase black‟s pieces (especially horses) around. However screen horse has its unique, hard-to-learn counterattacking moves. Variations are plentiful, and as a result screen horse is the most common answer to centre cannon in world-class matches. Here I am going to describe a game that I played online a few weeks ago. This was a fast game, and I, holding black, stuck with screen horse against a really good player. 1. 2. 3. 4. C2=5 H2+3 R1=2 P7+1 (b) H8+7 P7+1 (a) R9+1 H2+3 (c)......
3.
Screen horse
a) I chose to advance my 7 pawn before I advanced my right horse. The 7-pawn variation is complicated and is a recent development compared to the 3-pawn variation. b) Red also advanced his 7-pawn to make way for his left horse. This is probably the most popular move for red at this stage of the game. The move R2+6 or P5+1 are also often seen. They may or may not lead to different variations c) Here I could instead move C8+4 in an attempt to completely block out red‟s right wing. But I chose to go with another variation which I am more familiar with. 5. 6. 7. R2+6 (d) H8+7 C8=9 (g) R1+1 (e) R1=4 (f) C2+4 (h)
d) In 7-pawn variations, red often pushes his right car across the river to avoid the cannon piston, i.e. the aforementioned C8+4. e) A more common move at this stage is C8=9. This is a pretty much no-loss, no-gain move. If red trades car, black‟s left wing is not confined anymore, and black does not have to lose a move (black wouldn‟t have invited trade if red did not move his car a 2nd time). If red decides to go with R2=3 (which is the most common
The screen horse is my personal favourite, for no particular reason. The screen horse sounds like a passive opening, as it involves activating both horses to directly defend the middle pawn. With the horses their way, the cannons seem to
move), black can then C9-1. This gives the black cannon a full file to move. The cannon can then C9=7 to attack red‟s car or C9=5 to strengthen attack and defense down the middle in case red decides to push his middle pawn. But here I chose R1+1, a counter-attack move which has its advantages and disadvantages. f) This move prevented the red move H7+6. g) As black‟s right car moved so quickly, 59cannon allowed red‟s left car to directly attack black‟s right cannon. It would be wasting moves for black if black later goes R4=2 to protect his cannon. If black decides to escape with C2=1, red can follow with moves like R8+7 and R2=3 to attack black‟s horses. h) C2+4 deprived black‟s left horse of protection, but aimed at black‟s 3 pawn and subsequently black‟s right elephant. This is a rigorous counter-attacking move.
i) I also considered C2=7, but C2=3 made red think twice before moving out his left car (otherwise he loses his left elephant). j) Craziness is starting to break out. Red is trying the „give first, take later‟ strategy. He sacrificed his pawn first, then planned to go R2=3. If I escaped or protected my horse, he could go R3=2. The end result was red‟s right horse being freed and protected, and it would be much more difficult for black to target red‟s right wing for counter-attack. k) If I protected my left horse with my right car, my right cannon would be isolated, and red can probably mobilize his left car. It doesn‟t hurt him to give up his left elephant because I wouldn‟t be able to follow up with attack. As a result I decided to challenge red. With my horses as baits, I moved C8+4, planning to go C8=7 next. Note that if red‟s car took my 7pawn, I would move C8=7 then H7+6, a calmer variation. l) Red accepted my challenge and took my horse! I completely gave up on my horses and defense down the middle, but I hope my attack on his right will be quick enough. m) I executed my game plan.
8. 9. 10. 11 12 13
R9=8 P3+1 (j) R2=3 R3+1 (l) R3=7 A4+5
C2=3 (i) P7+1 C8+4 (k) C8=7 (m) C7+3 C7=9......
14.
R7=4 (n, fig.) P7+1 (o)
n) Black C7=9 led to red R7=4, which improved his right side defense, and spared his car from a “check and gain a piece” play. If red instead moved C5+4, I could R8+9 check and then R87, exposing my cannon to check again while toasting red‟s car. The red car will more than make up for my 2 lost horses, and with my base cannon intact I still had my attacking going. With his car back on his 4th line, he can block my cannon-car check. His right horse disallowed my car from staying on the base line pinning red‟s car. o) My P7+1 was aimed at driving away red‟s horse before I would advance my left car. 15. 16. 17. 18 19 K5=4 !? (p) R8+9 (q) K4+1 R8-1 K4-1 (r) P7+1 (s) R4+2 K5+1 R4-3...... (t) (Figure)
But alas, I ran out of time (remember, this was a fast game). So I lost. Big deal. However, I reviewed the game, and realized I had some very nifty moves which would lead me to victory, as follows:
p) This move led to absolute chaos. Red exposed his king to the attack of my car-cannonpawn. But at the same time, red pointed directly to my left advisor as his target of attack. He also threatened to take my right car with R4+2, R4-1 and then R4=6. q) I, however, noticed that I might be able to complete the kill even if I sacrifice my right car. r) Red king cannot go up, otherwise C9-2 and then P7+1 checkmate. s) I boldly ate his horse, knowing that he couldn‟t go get my right car without first avoiding checkmate. If he did as described in (p), I would then P7+1, red K4=5, me P7=6 followed by R8+1 then R8=6 checkmate. t) This move was something I didn‟t expect and it sent me into deep thinking. Of course, I could see his checkmate threat of R4=5. I really couldn‟t move away my right car coz it was defending my king from the attack of his left car. What should I do, what should I do??
19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
R8=7 R7=8 (v) K4+1 K4+1 A5-4
......C3+3! (u) R4+7!! R8+1 P7+1 R8=6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! R4=6 checkmate
u) By sacrifice my right cannon I could force red to relocate his left car to an inconvenient position for attacking. v) If red instead moved C5=6 (to make way for the king after it reached third floor), black can follow with P7+1, K4=5, R8+1, A5-4, R8=6!!!!, K5=4, P7+1 checkmate. If black directly moved K4=5, black could also P7+1 and win similarly. I can memorize this variation up to move #13 or so. But I never bother to work out the rest of the variation. My skill wasn‟t good enough to allow me to work out ingenious moves like C3+3 and R4+7 during a fast game. Anyways, I learned a valuable lesson at the expense of only a few rating points.