No. 7: Chariot, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants (2)

"No. 7: Chariot, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 11 moves; the key first move is A6+5. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

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Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Advisor, a Chariot, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Chariot.

Solution move by move

1. Red A6+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Advisor stands where it can be captured.
1. Black R5+1
1. Black R5+1
2. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black R5-1
2. Black R5-1
3. Red R8=6 (check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black K4=5
3. Black K4=5
4. Red R6+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black K5=6
4. Black K5=6
5. Red P4=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black R5=7
5. Black R5=7
6. Red R6=4 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black K6=5
6. Black K6=5
7. Red R4=5 (check)
7. Black K5=4
7. Black K5=4
8. Red A5-4 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black K4-1
8. Black K4-1
9. Red P3=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black R7-2
9. Black R7-2
10. Red P4=5 (check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
10. Black K4+1
10. Black K4+1
11. Red R5=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Red R5=6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: R5-3 6. R6=4+ K6=5 7. R4-3 R5=7 8. R4=5+ K5=6 9. A5-4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: R5+4 2. R8=6+ K4=5 3. R6+3 R5=3 4. R6=5+ K5=4 5. K4=5 R3-7 6. P4=5 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 11 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 7: Chariot, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants (2)"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Practical Endgames.

How many moves does the solution take?

11 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.

What is the key move?

The first move A6+5 starts the combination. Everything that follows depends on it.

Can I play this position myself?

Yes. Open it on ChessZing, where the board checks your moves and shows the solution if you get stuck.

← Previous puzzle: No. 6: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Elephant (2)Next puzzle: No. 8: Chariot, Low Soldier and Advisor Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Advisor (2) →