: Written by: Jim Png

Chapter 10: Checkmate Techniques 杀 01b

Simple introduction from book:

Basic Kills in Xiangqi are the foundations of victory in matches. They are very important basic tactics of the midgame phase.
Being unfamiliar with the basic kills would often lead to *missed* kills and lose good opportunities, or even be killed by the enemy.
In situations where both colors were attacking fiercely, knowledge of the basic kills is even more important. Often, in terms of speed, the difference of a move would decide the game.
Therefore, during the battle in the midgame phase, being able to quickly recognize a kill is a necessary ability for success.

The ability to read and grasp the situation followed by applying the correct line of play in the midgame phase is essential for success. It is especially so when there is an immediate kill. Therefore, the ability to identify a potential checkmate is crucial to success. However, it is easier said than done as situations can be very complicated and there can be many variations.
As this book is targetted at beginners, we will go through some of the more common basic kills and tactical combinations. The authors hope that beginners will be able to learn these common tactical combinations and their characterisitics.
Due to constraints of this book, the authors have decided to classify the different tactical combinations into the following list:

a) Tactical Combinations involving the Central Cannon,
b) Tactical Combinations involving the Double Cannons,
c) Tactical Combinations involving the Bottom Ranked Cannons,
d) Tactical Combinations involving the Horse at the Flank , and
e) Tactical Combinations involving the Elbow Horse.

There will be many examples which will be discussed in detail.
Note: The examples have also been made into short videos with corresponding tags to offer a clearer explanation. The URL would be: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSgklQ5ZjutrQ24JjNmVwnkp82VKWHgHQ

a) Tactical Combinations involving the Central Cannon

The first section would deal with a common way of delivering a checkmate with the Cannon. The Central Cannon is used to control the central file and there are many possible ways to achieve checkmate if the pieces are well coordinated. This form of checkmate is very powerful and could lead to final kill rapidly.

Note: There were ten boards in this section which has been divided into two pages to decrease download time. This would be the second page.