Horse in the trough
卧槽马 · wò cáo mǎ
A horse planted next to the enemy palace where it checks the General and supports a mating attack from a chariot or cannon.
The trough is the square beside the palace from which a horse gives check and covers escape squares at the same time. A horse that reaches it with support is one of the hardest things in xiangqi to deal with, because the defender usually cannot take it and cannot chase it away.
It appears constantly in attacks built around a chariot crossing the river, which is why both belong to the same family of plans.
Defending against it starts early. Control the square with a soldier or an Advisor before the horse is close enough to use it, because once the horse arrives with support there is often no move that helps.
In practice
When you are attacking, ask which of your horses can reach the trough and how many moves it needs. When defending, take that square away early.
Related terms
- Horse马 / 马A knight that moves one point straight then one diagonally, and which unlike a western knight can be blocked by a piece standing in its way.
- Cannon behind the horse马后炮A mating pattern where a horse covers the General's escape squares and a cannon checks along the line with the horse itself as the screen.
- Corner horse挂角马A horse delivering check from a corner point of the palace, typically with a chariot or cannon completing the net.
- Crossing the river过河Moving a piece into the opponent's half of the board, where soldiers gain sideways movement and chariots become attackers.