No. 21: Two Chariots Draw by Rule vs Chariot, Cannon and Two Advisors

"No. 21: Two Chariots Draw by Rule vs Chariot, Cannon and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 3 moves; the key first move is R7+4. 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, 2 Chariots. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Chariot, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red R7+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 30 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C6-2
1. Black C6-2
2. Red K6=5 (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 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black R7-2
2. Black R7-2
3. Red R7=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black R7=6
3. Black R7=6

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

1. Black C6-2
- If Black plays R7=8 instead: Red mates immediately with R7=6. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=9 instead: Red mates immediately with R7=6. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=6 instead: Red mates immediately with R7=6. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=5 instead: Red mates immediately with R7=6. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=3 instead: Red mates immediately with R7=6. Try it on the board
2. Black R7-2
- If Black plays R7=8 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=9 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=6 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=4 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=3 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
3. Black R7=6
- If Black plays R7=8 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7=9 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7-1 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7+1 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7+2 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board
- If Black plays R7+3 instead: Red mates immediately with R5+1. Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 21: Two Chariots Draw by Rule vs Chariot, Cannon and Two Advisors"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move R7+4 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. 20: Two Chariots Draw by Rule vs Chariot, Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor Next puzzle: No. 1: Chariot and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Two High Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants →