Smothered mate in the palace
闷宫 · mèn gōng · stifled palace
A mate where the General is checked and every escape point is blocked by its own defenders.
The defenders that were keeping the General safe end up being the walls of its cell. A cannon checks along a file or rank, the General has nowhere to step because its own Advisors and Elephants fill the palace, and nothing can capture the attacker.
It is the purest illustration of why over defending is a real mistake in xiangqi. Three defenders crowded into a nine point box can be worse than two.
The practical lesson cuts both ways. When attacking, look for positions where the defender's own pieces do your blocking for you, and when defending, notice the moment your palace has become full rather than safe.
In practice
If your palace is full and you are under attack, make luft. A single Advisor stepping aside at the right moment prevents a whole family of mates.
Related terms
- Checkmate将死A check the defender cannot answer, which ends the game immediately in the attacker's favour.
- Advisor士 / 仕A short range defender that moves one point diagonally and never leaves the palace, protecting the General from cannons and chariots.
- Cannon炮 / 砲A piece that moves like a chariot but can only capture by jumping exactly one piece, called the screen, on its way to the target.
- Palace九宫The three by three square marked with a cross at each end of the board, which the General and the two Advisors may never leave.