Guide
Where Winds Meet Chess (Xiangqi) puzzles
Some Where Winds Meet quests and NPC challenges include Chinese chess (Xiangqi) puzzles. They can feel deceptively hard because one tempo mistake often flips the entire position.
This page is not a full Xiangqi textbook. It is a player-focused checklist: how to quickly spot winning lines, and what to do when you just want the answer and need to move on.
Fast solve checklist
- Confirm side to move and the objective (mate, win material, force perpetual check). Many “puzzle” positions are actually about one forcing sequence.
- List every checking move. In Xiangqi, checks are especially forcing because the general (king) has fewer legal escape squares.
- Look for “cannon + screen” shots. Cannons (炮/砲) often win puzzles by using a single piece as the screen, delivering check through that screen.
- Restrict the general first, then win. If you cannot mate immediately, force the king into a cornered shape where rooks/cannons seal exits.
- Watch for counter-checks. Many failed lines lose because you ignore the opponent’s only forcing move back.
Common puzzle patterns (player-friendly)
Cannon ladder checks
Cannons become lethal when you can keep a stable screen. The usual pattern is: check, force a block, then relocate the screen or rook to deliver the next check while sealing escape squares.
Rook + cannon “net”
A rook controls a file or rank, and the cannon delivers check through a screen. Even if you do not mate instantly, you often win material because every defense is forced.
Sacrifice to open a file
Many puzzles look “down material” because the correct move is to sacrifice a piece to clear the file between the rook/cannon and the general.
Perpetual check escape
If you cannot convert to a mate, perpetual check is often the “draw” or “pass” solution to save your run. Use it when the game only asks you to survive or avoid losing.