Hu Ronghua vs Cai Furu · 1960.6.18
1960.6.18 · Black won · Hu Ronghua vs Cai Furu · 1960.6.18. Xiangqi (Chinese chess), Red to play, 1960.6.18. Study 142 reference plies, try both sides and branch from the replay.
Site coordinates run A–I left to right and 1–10 top to bottom; A1 is the top-left intersection.
Read the position, one decision at a time
Try the position first, then open the notes. They explain measurable changes in the reference, not every possible variation.
Reveal step-by-step explanations
1. Red cannon · H8 → E8
The destination was empty. It does not give check. The opponent has 45 legal replies; compare piece coordination rather than counting checks alone. Before this move the same piece had 12 legal destinations; other legal moves are not thereby proved equally strong.
2. Black horse · H1 → G3
The destination was empty. Its horse-leg point H2 is empty; a piece there would block this jump. It does not give check. The opponent has 35 legal replies; compare piece coordination rather than counting checks alone. Before this move the same piece had 2 legal destinations; other legal moves are not thereby proved equally strong.
3. Red horse · H10 → G8
The destination was empty. Its horse-leg point H9 is empty; a piece there would block this jump. It does not give check. The opponent has 42 legal replies; compare piece coordination rather than counting checks alone. Before this move the same piece had 2 legal destinations; other legal moves are not thereby proved equally strong.
4. Black chariot · I1 → H1
The destination was empty. It does not give check. The opponent has 34 legal replies; compare piece coordination rather than counting checks alone. Before this move the same piece had 3 legal destinations; other legal moves are not thereby proved equally strong.
Understand this position
10 ranks × 9 files · 16 red pieces · 16 black pieces
Replay a few moves before advancing to the end. At each pause, compare the last position with the next one: which lines opened, which groups connected, and which points became contested? Use “Start new trial here” to investigate an alternative, then return to the reference.
Read the reference line (142 plies)
Coordinates match this board: letters left to right, row numbers from top to bottom. These are board coordinates, not traditional score notation.
- Red cannon
H8 → E8 - Black horse
H1 → G3 - Red horse
H10 → G8 - Black chariot
I1 → H1 - Red chariot
I10 → H10 - Black soldier
G4 → G5 - Red chariot
H10 → H4 - Black horse
B1 → C3 - Red soldier
C7 → C6 - Black horse
G3 → F5 - Red horse
B10 → C8 - Black elephant
C1 → E3 - Red cannon
B8 → B7 - Black soldier
G5 → G6 - Red chariot
H4 → F4 - Black horse
F5 → G7 - Red cannon
E8 → D8 - Black cannon
H3 → H8 - Red elephant
C10 → E8 - Black cannon
B3 → B5 - Red horse
C8 → D6 - Black cannon
B5 → G5 - Red chariot
F4 → F2 - Black advisor
D1 → E2 - Red chariot
A10 → B10 - Black horse
G7 → E8 - Red horse
D6 → E8 - Black chariot
A1 → B1 - Red cannon
B7 → B3 - Black soldier
G6 → G7 - Red cannon
B3 → E3 - Black general
E1 → D1 - Red chariot
B10 → B1 - Black horse
C3 → B1 - Red cannon
E3 → G3 - Black cannon
G5 → G8 - Red cannon
G3 → G8 - Black soldier
G7 → G8 - Red chariot
F2 → F5 - Black general
D1 → E1 - Red cannon
D8 → G8 - Black cannon
H8 → E8 - Red elephant
G10 → E8 - Black chariot
H1 → H7 - Red chariot
F5 → G5 - Black elephant
G1 → E3 - Red chariot
G5 → G3 - Black chariot
H7 → E7 - Red advisor
F10 → E9 - Black chariot
E7 → E8 - Red cannon
G8 → F8 - Black advisor
E2 → D3 - Red cannon
F8 → F2 - Black advisor
F1 → E2 - Red chariot
G3 → E3 - Black soldier
A4 → A5 - Red chariot
E3 → G3 - Black horse
B1 → A3 - Red chariot
G3 → G1 - Black advisor
E2 → F1 - Red chariot
G1 → G7 - Black horse
A3 → B5 - Red cannon
F2 → F4 - Black horse
B5 → D6 - Red chariot
G7 → D7 - Black chariot
E8 → E6 - Red cannon
F4 → F8 - Black chariot
E6 → F6 - Red cannon
F8 → E8 - Black advisor
F1 → E2 - Red chariot
D7 → E7 - Black general
E1 → F1 - Red chariot
E7 → D7 - Black soldier
E4 → E5 - Red cannon
E8 → B8 - Black horse
D6 → E4 - Red chariot
D7 → G7 - Black chariot
F6 → C6 - Red chariot
G7 → G1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red chariot
G1 → G4 - Black horse
E4 → C5 - Red chariot
G4 → C4 - Black chariot
C6 → B6 - Red cannon
B8 → F8 - Black horse
C5 → D7 - Red cannon
F8 → F9 - Black general
F2 → F1 - Red chariot
C4 → C1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red chariot
C1 → C7 - Black chariot
B6 → D6 - Red advisor
E9 → D8 - Black chariot
D6 → E6 - Red advisor
D10 → E9 - Black chariot
E6 → E7 - Red soldier
I7 → I6 - Black soldier
E5 → E6 - Red chariot
C7 → C4 - Black general
F2 → F1 - Red chariot
C4 → C1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red chariot
C1 → I1 - Black horse
D7 → C5 - Red chariot
I1 → I4 - Black horse
C5 → B7 - Red general
E10 → D10 - Black general
F2 → F1 - Red chariot
I4 → I1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red soldier
I6 → I5 - Black chariot
E7 → I7 - Red cannon
F9 → F10 - Black soldier
E6 → E7 - Red chariot
I1 → I4 - Black general
F2 → F1 - Red chariot
I4 → I1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red chariot
I1 → I4 - Black general
F2 → F1 - Red advisor
E9 → F8 - Black advisor
E2 → F3 - Red chariot
I4 → E4 - Black soldier
E7 → D7 - Red chariot
E4 → E3 - Black advisor
D3 → E2 - Red chariot
E3 → B3 - Black soldier
D7 → D8 - Red chariot
B3 → B1 - Black advisor
E2 → D1 - Red chariot
B1 → D1 - Black general
F1 → F2 - Red chariot
D1 → D5 - Black soldier
D8 → E8 - Red advisor
F8 → E9 - Black chariot
I7 → F7 - Red chariot
D5 → D7 - Black horse
B7 → D6 - Red general
D10 → D9 - Black general
F2 → E2 - Red chariot
D7 → F7 - Black soldier
E8 → E9