No. 5: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (2)

"No. 5: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 17 moves; the key first move is A5+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 Advisors, a Elephant, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

1. Red A5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C9-1
1. Black C9-1
2. Red C5=6 (check)
2. Black K4=5
2. Black K4=5
3. Red P6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K5=4
3. Black K5=4
4. Red H7-6 (check)
4. Black C3=4
4. Black C3=4
5. Red H6+8 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C4=2
5. Black C4=2
6. Red H8+7 (check)
6. Black C2=3
6. Black C2=3
7. Red C6=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C9+1
7. Black C9+1
8. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black K4=5
8. Black K4=5
9. Red C7+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 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black C9=3 (captures the Cannon)
9. Black C9=3
10. Red P5=4 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C3=4
10. Black C3=4
11. Red H7+5 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black C4=2
11. Black C4=2
12. Red P4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black C2=4
12. Black C2=4
13. Red H5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black C4=7
13. Black C4=7
14. Red P5+1 (check)
14. Black K5=4
14. Black K5=4
15. Red E9-7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black C7=6
15. Black C7=6
16. Red H3-4 (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 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
16. Black C6=7
16. Black C6=7
17. Red P5=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Red P5=6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 3: C9=6 4. P5+1 K5=4 5. P5=6+ K4=5 6. H7+9 C6+1 7. P6=5 K5=6 8. P5=4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 3: A5-6 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 17 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 5: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move A5+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.

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