No. 5: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants

"No. 5: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 3 moves; the key first move is R5+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, a Chariot. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red R5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H4-5
1. Black H4-5
2. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E9-7
2. Black E9-7
3. 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.
3. Black -E+9
3. Black -E+9

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: 1. R5+1 H4-5 2. K5+1 K6=5 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 5: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants"?

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 R5+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. 4: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Two High Soldiers and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 6: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Horse, Two Advisors and One Elephant →