No. 17: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)

"No. 17: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 19 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.

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Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red H2+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.
1. Black K5+1
1. Black K5+1
2. Red H3-4 (check)
2. Black K5-1
2. Black K5-1
3. Red E5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E5-7
3. Black E5-7
4. 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.
4. Black K5+1
4. Black K5+1
5. Red C6=2 (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 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black K5=4
5. Black K5=4
6. Red H3-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K4-1
6. Black K4-1
7. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black -E+5
7. Black -E+5
8. Red C2=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H3+2
8. Black H3+2
9. Red C5+7 (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.
9. Black H2+4 (captures the Advisor)
9. Black H2+4
10. Red K5=6
10. Black K4+1
10. Black K4+1
11. Red C5+1
11. Black E7-9
11. Black E7-9
12. Red C5-8
12. Black K4-1
12. Black K4-1
13. Red C5=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black K4+1
13. Black K4+1
14. Red H4-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black E9+7
14. Black E9+7
15. Red C3+5 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Black K4+1
15. Black K4+1
16. Red C3=5
16. Black K4=5
16. Black K4=5
17. Red K6+1 (captures the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Black K5=6
17. Black K5=6
18. Red H2+4
18. Black K6=5
18. Black K6=5
19. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
19. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: H3+2 4. A6-5 K5=4 5. C6=5 E5+3 6. C5=3 E7-9 7. C3=6 E9+7 8. H4+6+ H2-4 9. H6-7+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 7: E3-5 8. H4+3 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 19 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 17: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

19 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. 16: Horse, Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Horses and Advisor Next puzzle: No. 18: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2) →