No. 6: Two Cannons and Soldier with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Elephants

"No. 6: Two Cannons and Soldier with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is C8=5. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

Solve this puzzle on ChessZing →

Free, in the browser, no download.

Pieces on the board

Red has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

1. Red C8=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5=4
1. Black K5=4
2. Red C3=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 25 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C2-1
2. Black C2-1
3. Red P6=5 (check)
3. Black C2=4
3. Black C2=4
4. Red C6+7 (captures the Cannon, sacrifices the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black K4+1 (captures the Cannon)
4. Black K4+1
5. Red P5+1 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C6+2
5. Black C6+2
6. Red C5=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black E3+1
6. Black E3+1
7. Red C7-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C6=4
7. Black C6=4
8. Red +A-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C4+4
8. Black C4+4
9. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K4-1
9. Black K4-1
10. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C4-2
10. Black C4-2
11. Red C7=6 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black C4=3
11. Black C4=3
12. Red A5+6 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
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.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
12. Black C3=4
12. Black C3=4
13. Red C6+2 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
13. Black E1-3
13. Black E1-3
14. Red C6=7 (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.
14. Black E3+5
14. Black E3+5
15. Red C7-2 (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 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black E5+3
15. Black E5+3
16. Red C7=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Red C7=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: K5=6 2. C3=4 C2+5+ 3. C5-1 C2-5 4. C5-2 C2+5+ 5. +A-5 C2-5 6. C5=4 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 16 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Two Cannons and Soldier with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C8=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. 5: Two Cannons, Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 1: Lone Chariot Draws by Rule vs Chariot and Cannon →