Algebraic Notation  World    Lu  1. Che3  Hg8  2. Hg3   Rh10  3. Rh1   Hc8  4. Pg5   Pc6  5. Ha3   Pa6  6. Cbc3  Hb6  7. Ra2   Ege8  8. Hf5   Pa5  9. Pxa5  Rxa5 10. Rf2   Afe9 11. Hd6   Ch7 12. Pg6   Pxg6 13. Hf7   Cb9 14. Pe5   Pg5 15. Rh4   Ch5 16. Rd4   Ch9 17. Cc2   Rf10 18. Afe2  Cc9 19. Rh4   Ch5 20. Cg3   Cxe5+ 21. Hxe5  Rxe5 22. Cxg8  Rxf2 23. Cxf2  Ph5 24. Rg4   Hxc4 25. Hxc4  Rg5 26. Rxg5  Pxg5 27. Ci2   Ph5 28. Ege3  Cxc4 29. Cxi7  Pe6 30. Ch7   Pe5 31. Cgh8  Pe4 32. Cxh5  Cxi4 33. Ce7   draw

To see earlier notes from the Java viewer, click here.

Yu Ying HUANG comments:
The move 3...Hc8 is a favorite of the Cantonese team. Black sets the "wind-screen horses" immediately, and waits to see what Red will do. It is also popular to play 3...Pg6. 

The purpose of 5...Pa6 is to advance the rook. But before doing this, Black links the elephants with Ege8. In old theory, Black answers 8.Hf5 with 8...Ra7, defending the central pawn. But after 9.Rh7, Black is too cramped. Black can't relieve the pressure with 10...Ci8, because after the rook exchange, Red's horse takes the central pawn.

Black sacrifices the central pawn with 8...Pa5 and 9...Rxa5. If Red captures with 10.Hxe7, Black gets a good position with free pieces, and will soon begin taking Red's pawns. A sample line is 10.Hxe7 Hxe7 11.Cxe7+ Afe9 12.Ege3 Rf10 13.Cxi7 Rf4, when Black threatens Rxi4 winning the cannon. Black has a good position and will get several pawns.

Instead, Red launches an attack with 10.Rf2 and 11.Hd6. Grandmaster Tian Hong XU likes this opening. Red wants to play Hf7, threatening checkmate. Black stops this with Ch7.

The present game is following a famous game XU played against Grandmaster Han Ming TAO. XU sacrificed his g pawn to let the horse switch sides, brought his rook from the h-file to the d-file, and then attacked down the c-file. The game went:

12. Pg6 Pxg6
13. Hf7 Cb9 (only move)
14. Pe5 Hi9 (protecting the cannon to free the rook)
15. Rh4 Rf10
16. Rd4 Rf8 (blocking the the horse check Hg9+ after Red's intended Rd9 )
17. Pc5 Rxc5 (if 17... Pxc5?, 18. Rd9 wins) 
18. Cc2 (with a complicated position)

The best move is 12. Pg6, and Black should play 12...Pxg6. If Exg6, Red's attack will be too strong. - YYH

(Readers can find the complete XU/TAO game in the CCHVIEW 3.5 data-base on the Xiangqi Home page.) 

*****

 "As it turned out, the World Team opted for the more rigorous 16. Rd4 (R2=6). 17. Cc2 (C7-1) threatens a Ca2 (C7=9) to force a ...Ha4 (H2+1). LU replied with 17...Rf10 (R8=6) with a pin of his own, which gives the option of ...Rxe5 (R1=5)." 
- David Woo

18.Afe2 Cc9 (Black wants to attack with c5 at the right moment) - Jouni Tolonen

On move 20 Black sacrifices a piece. Play might continue with 21.Hxe5 Hf6 threatening Pg4 after Red's horse moves away. 22.Cf3 Rg10 with the g-pawn marching in. All black pieces are attacking.
Black may also try 21...Rxe5!? 22.Cxg8 Rg10. After 22.Rxf10 black takes with horse 22...Hxf10 and is much better. Cxg8 is the more probable choice. There are other moves for Red but Black will move Hf6 if Red allows it. Rxe5 is a positional sacrifice. Red plays practically without the horse a3 for a long time to come, black has extra quick pawns.
- based on analysis from Tolonen and Brydon, who conclude: "Lu's 20th move offered a dramatic piece sacrifice, and xiangqi players all over the world are trying to determine how much compensation he has."

On the suggestions for Black's 23rd move: 23.Rh10+ loses a rook with 23... Rf10, so 23.Cxf2 is the better choice. - Jouni Tolonen

After Black's 23rd move: Other moves than 24.Rg4 allow Black a double-attack with Rg5. But 24.Rg4 Ph4! with a fork for Black wins a pawn as Red chariot cannot leave the g-file. If 25.Rg7, 25... Cc7 protects the black i-pawn. - Jouni Tolonen

Update: After Black's 24th move: Amazing! Lu sacrifices another piece! Is he just playing games with us? If Red takes with the horse, black will regain the piece with Pc5. The horse cannot retreat because of the back-rank cannon checkmate. Instead, Red can start to launch an attack with the cannons and the rook. Cf9 is an interesting double-purpose move which aims to remove the protection from Hc4 and also blocks the e8-elephant's eye to g10. But if 25.Hxa3 Cxc9, the cannon is out of the attack. - Jouni Tolonen