The Elbow Horse Checkmate

The elbow horse checkmate is the most powerful attacking weapon of horses in Xiangqi. We can use the elbow horse to force the opponent’s general to move away from its safest spot, and then attack the vulnerable general with our other pieces.

When a horse is placed to the positions(I3, I7 for red; B3, B7 for black) of the following diagram, it is called the elbow horse. As you can see, the elbow horse can attack the A5/J5 directly.

Unlike chariots and cannons, which can move in straight lines, horses have to move in a diagonal. How can we make an elbow horse? The labelled positions(G2,G4,G6,G8 for red horses; D2,D4,D6,D8 for black horses) below are the most common way spots that can form an elbow horse. If we can get to one of these spots, then we can perform an elbow horse checkmate. (These spots can also lead to a palcorner horse checkmate!)

How are we going to reach these spots? It is actually quite simple. After you place the horse in your riverbank, all you have to do is to move your horse horizontally twice, then it will reach one of these positions! Below is one of the examples:

There are two common patterns associated with the elbow horse checkmate:

1. The elbow-file-attack pattern

2. The throat-rank-attack pattern

Let’s take a look at the following examples:

The elbow-file-attack pattern

In this example, the G6 chariot is already guarding the only escape spot for the black general. Red can simple move the G2 horse to I3, performing an elbow horse checkmate. The black general could not escape. Red wins.

In this example, red can first move the G2 horse to I3, using the elbow horse to attack the black general and force it out to J6.

After that, we can move the G8 chariot to G6, attacking the vulnerable black general on the elbow file. Notice that the elbow horse is guarding J5 and preventing the J6 general from moving back.

Black can only block the check with the advisor, but red can simply take it with the G6 chariot. The black general cannot escape to a safe place, red wins.

Cannon is also very useful in coordination with the elbow horse checkmate. In this case, the B6 cannon is aiming at the elbow file already. Red can once again move the horse to I3 to attack the black general.

After that, the C9 cannon can move to C6, forming a double cannon on the 6th file. The black general can neither escape to J5 because of the elbow horse on I3, nor block the double cannon with the advisor. Red wins.

Note that it would be a mistake if red move the B5 advisor to C6, as black can now block the check with the move I5 - H6.

The throat-rank-attack pattern

In this position. Red can move his G2 horse to I3, forcing the black general to escape to the throat rank.

Then the G8 chariot can attack the general on I8. The black general failed to find any escape routes. Red wins.

In this example, red first force the black general to move to I5 by G6-I7.

Note that the elbow horse is controlling both J5 and H5. Red can simply move his D9 cannon to I9. Red wins.

In this Xiangqi tutorial, we talked about the elbow horse checkmate pattern. This is one of the most powerful checkmate pattern of the horse in xiangqi, and it becomes really useful as it forces the opponent’s general to get out the safe spot.

Below is an exercise about the elbow horse checkmate . Try out the puzzle to see whether you can apply what you learn in this tutorial!

Practice makes perfect