No. 11: Horse, Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor (1)

"No. 11: Horse, Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is H3+2. 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. Black has a General, a Advisor, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H3+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 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C4+4
1. Black C4+4
2. Red H2+3 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
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.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red H3-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C4=5
3. Black C4=5
4. Red C1-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C5-1
4. Black C5-1
5. Red C1=6 (check)
5. Black A5+4
5. Black A5+4
6. Red C6+7 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Red C6+7

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: C4+6 2. C1=5 C4=5 3. H2-3 C5=4 4. H3+4 K5=6 5. C5+4 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 11: Horse, Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H3+2 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. 10: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants Next puzzle: No. 12: Horse, Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor (2) →