No. 13: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant (1)

"No. 13: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is H5+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 Advisors, a Elephant, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black E9-7
1. Black E9-7
2. Red E3-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C1-1
2. Black C1-1
3. Red C3=6 (check)
3. Black K4=5
3. Black K4=5
4. Red H3+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E7+5
4. Black E7+5
5. Red C6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C1+7 (check)
5. Black C1+7
6. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C1=9 (captures the Elephant)
6. Black C1=9
7. Red C5+7 (captures the Elephant, check)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Red C5+7

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

1. Black E9-7
- If Black plays E9+7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
2. Black C1-1
- If Black plays C1=2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
3. Black K4=5
- If Black plays A5+4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
4. Black E7+5
- If Black plays C1=2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1+3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
5. Black C1+7
- If Black plays E5-7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays E5+7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays E5-3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays E5+3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A5-6 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A5-4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
6. Black C1=9
- If Black plays C1=2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1=3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1-2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1-3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays C1-4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 13: Horse, Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant (1)"?

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 H5+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.

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