No. 9: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant

No. 9: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant楚河 漢界帥傌炮士砲象將

"No. 9: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 17 moves; the key first move is H7+8. 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 Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Elephant, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

  1. 1. Red H7+8
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    1. Black K4+1
    1楚河 漢界帥炮傌士將砲象
    1. Black K4+1
  2. 2. Red C1=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.
    2. Black A4-5
    2楚河 漢界帥炮傌將士砲象
    2. Black A4-5
  3. 3. Red H8-6 (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.
    3. Black A5+4
    3楚河 漢界帥炮傌士將砲象
    3. Black A5+4
  4. 4. Red H6+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.
    4. Black A4-5
    4楚河 漢界帥炮傌將士砲象
    4. Black A4-5
  5. 5. Red H4+5 (captures the Advisor, threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Advisor.
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    5. Black C9+1
    5楚河 漢界帥炮砲將傌象
    5. Black C9+1
  6. 6. Red H5-6 (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 C9=4
    6楚河 漢界帥炮傌砲將象
    6. Black C9=4
  7. 7. Red H6+8 (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.
    7. Black C4=3
    7楚河 漢界帥炮傌砲將象
    7. Black C4=3
  8. 8. Red H8+7 (captures the Elephant)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Elephant.
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    8. Black C3=5
    8楚河 漢界帥炮砲將傌
    8. Black C3=5
  9. 9. Red C6-4
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    9. Black C5+2
    9楚河 漢界炮帥砲將傌
    9. Black C5+2
  10. 10. Red K5+1
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    10. Black C5+2
    10楚河 漢界炮帥砲將傌
    10. Black C5+2
  11. 11. Red H7-8 (check)
    11. Black K4-1
    11楚河 漢界炮帥砲傌將
    11. Black K4-1
  12. 12. Red H8-6 (check)
    12. Black K4=5
    12楚河 漢界炮帥砲傌將
    12. Black K4=5
  13. 13. Red C6=5
    Why it works–
    What to watch out for
    • Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
    13. Black C5-3
    13楚河 漢界炮帥傌砲將
    13. Black C5-3
  14. 14. Red C5+6 (captures the Cannon)
    Why it works
    • Wins material: takes the Cannon.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    14. Black K5=4
    14楚河 漢界帥傌炮將
    14. Black K5=4
  15. 15. Red C5=4 (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.
    15. Black K4+1
    15楚河 漢界帥傌炮將
    15. Black K4+1
  16. 16. Red C4-4 (threatens mate next move)
    Why it works
    • Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    16. Black K4+1
    16楚河 漢界帥炮傌將
    16. Black K4+1
  17. 17. Red C4=6 (checkmate)
    Why it works
    • Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
    What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
    17楚河 漢界帥炮傌將
    17. Red C4=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Final position

Final position楚河 漢界帥炮傌將

Red wins after 17 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 9: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H7+8 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. 8: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and ElephantNext puzzle: No. 10: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants →

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