No. 5: Two Cannons, Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors

"No. 5: Two Cannons, Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is C9=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, 2 Advisors, 2 Cannons, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

1. Red C9=5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black A5+4
1. Black A5+4
2. Red C1=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.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red P4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 26 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C9+7 (check)
3. Black C9+7
4. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C9-8
4. Black C9-8
5. Red +C=6 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Black C9=4
5. Black C9=4
6. Red C6+5 (captures the Cannon, sacrifices the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K4+1 (captures the Cannon)
6. Black K4+1
7. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C1-2
7. Black C1-2
8. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C1=4
8. Black C1=4
9. Red C5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black C4=1
9. Black C4=1
10. Red C4+8 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C1=4
10. Black C1=4
11. Red -A+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black C4=5
11. Black C4=5
12. Red C4=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black C5=4
12. Black C5=4
13. Red C3-9
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black C4=1
13. Black C4=1
14. Red C3=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black C1=2
14. Black C1=2
15. Red P5=6 (captures the Advisor, check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Black K4-1
15. Black K4-1
16. Red P6+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Red P6+1

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 9: A6+5 10. C4=6 A5-6 11. P5=6+ K4=5+ 12. P6=5+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 7: K4-1 8. C5=6 A6+5 9. K6=5+ K4=5 10. P5=6 K5=6 11. P6+1 K6+1 12. C6=4+ A5+6 13. P6=5 K6-1 14. P5=4 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 7: C1=2 8. C5=4 A6+5 9. C4=6 C2+2 10. K6=5+ C2=4 11. P5+1 C4+2 12. P5+1+ K4-1 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 1: C1=5 2. C1=5 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. 5: Two Cannons, Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors"?

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 C9=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.

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