No. 2: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 2: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 22 moves; the key first move is H3+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, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Horse, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red H3+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 C3=1
1. Black C3=1
2. Red H4+2 (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.
2. Black A5-6
2. Black A5-6
3. Red H2-1 (check)
3. Black A6+5
3. Black A6+5
4. Red H1+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.
4. Black K5=6
4. Black K5=6
5. Red C1-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black K6+1
5. Black K6+1
6. Red C1=4 (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+6
6. Black A5+6
7. Red P4+1 (captures the Advisor, check)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
7. Black K6=5
7. Black K6=5
8. Red C4=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black E5+3
8. Black E5+3
9. Red H3-5 (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.
9. Black K5=4
9. Black K5=4
10. Red H5-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C1=4
10. Black C1=4
11. Red H6+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black K4=5
11. Black K4=5
12. Red C5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black K5-1
12. Black K5-1
13. Red C6+5 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black C4-1
13. Black C4-1
14. Red P4+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black C4+1
14. Black C4+1
15. Red C6-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black +E-5
15. Black +E-5
16. Red C6=9
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
16. Black E3+1
16. Black E3+1
17. Red H7-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
17. Black E5+3
17. Black E5+3
18. Red H6+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
18. Black C4=6
18. Black C4=6
19. Red H4+6 (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.
19. Black K5=4
19. Black K5=4
20. Red P4=5 (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 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
20. Black C6-1
20. Black C6-1
21. Red C9=4 (captures the Cannon, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
21. Black E1-3
21. Black E1-3
22. Red H6+8 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
22. Red H6+8

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: C3-1 2. H4+2+ A5-6 3. P4+1 C3=8 4. P4+1 A4+5 5. P4=3 C8+1 6. H2-4+ C8-2 7. P3=2 C8=7 8. C1=2 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 3: K5+1 4. C1=4 K5-1 5. C4-1 K5=6 6. C4=5 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 22 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 2: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H3+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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 1: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Elephants and One Advisor Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants Next puzzle: No. 3: Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Horses and Two Advisors →