No. 3: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 3: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 10 moves; the key first move is R3=7. 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 Chariot, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red R3=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C3=4
1. Black C3=4
2. Red R7+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black A5+6
2. Black A5+6
3. Red R7+2 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black +A-5
3. Black +A-5
4. Red R7=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E7+9
4. Black E7+9
5. Red R8-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E9-7
5. Black E9-7
6. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C4=3
6. Black C4=3
7. Red R8=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C3=4
7. Black C3=4
8. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black A5+6
8. Black A5+6
9. Red P6+1 (captures the Cannon, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black K5=4 (captures the Soldier)
9. Black K5=4
10. Red R7=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black +A-5
10. Black +A-5

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 1 variation. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 8: E5+7 9. P6+1+ K5=4 10. R7+2+ K4+1 11. R7-4 +E-5 12. R7=6+ A5+4 13. K5=6 A6+5 14. R6=8 A5+6 15. R8+2 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 3: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R3=7 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. 2: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants Next puzzle: No. 4: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Cannon and Two Elephants →