No. 1: Two Horses and Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 1: Two Horses and Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is H1+2. 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 Horses, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red H1+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H5+6
1. Black H5+6
2. Red H2+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black H6-4
2. Black H6-4
3. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H4-5
3. Black H4-5
4. Red H3-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E7-9
4. Black E7-9
5. Red P4=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Black A4-5 (captures the Soldier)
5. Black A4-5
6. Red H4+3 (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.
6. Black K5=6
6. Black K5=6
7. Red H3-5 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Red H3-5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: H6-8 3. H3-5 A4-5 4. P4=5+ K5=6 5. H4-2 H8-6 6. K6=5 E5+3 7. K5=4 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 1: Two Horses and Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H1+2 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. 8: Horse and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant (4)Next puzzle: No. 2: Two Horses and Soldier Win by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants →