No. 4: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (1)

"No. 4: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 10 moves; the key first move is H2+3. 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, a Elephant, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

1. Red H2+3 (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 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black A5-4
1. Black A5-4
2. Red H3-5 (check)
2. Black K6=5
2. Black K6=5
3. Red C9=5 (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.
3. Black A4+5
3. Black A4+5
4. Red H5+7 (check)
4. Black K5=4
4. Black K5=4
5. Red C5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 33 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black K4+1
5. Black K4+1
6. Red P7=6 (check, 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.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black A5+4
6. Black A5+4
7. Red P6=5 (check)
7. Black A4-5
7. Black A4-5
8. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 34 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C9-4
8. Black C9-4
9. Red H7-6 (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.
9. Black A5+4
9. Black A5+4
10. Red H6+8 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
10. Red H6+8

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: A5+4 2. P7=6 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 10 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 4: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H2+3 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. 3: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Horses and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 5: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Cannons and Two Advisors (2) →