No. 8: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Elephant

"No. 8: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 15 moves; the key first move is C2=5. 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 Elephant, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red C2=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5=4
1. Black K5=4
2. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C4-1
2. Black C4-1
3. Red H9+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E1+3
3. Black E1+3
4. Red H7-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C4=5 (check)
4. Black C4=5
5. Red H5+6 (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 C5+6 (captures the Cannon)
5. Black C5+6
6. Red H6+8 (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.
6. Black K4+1
6. Black K4+1
7. Red K5-1 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Black E3-5
7. Black E3-5
8. Red H8-7 (check)
8. Black K4=5
8. Black K4=5
9. Red H7+5 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black K5-1
9. Black K5-1
10. Red K5=4 (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.
10. Black K5+1
10. Black K5+1
11. Red H5+7 (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.
11. Black K5=4
11. Black K5=4
12. Red K4=5
12. Black K4+1
12. Black K4+1
13. Red H7-6 (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.
13. Black K4-1
13. Black K4-1
14. Red H6+8 (check, 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.
14. Black K4-1
14. Black K4-1
15. Red K5-1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Red K5-1

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 4: K4=5 5. K5=4+ C4=5 6. H5+6+ K5=4 7. C5=6# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: C4+1 5. K5=6 C4-1 6. C5=6 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 4: C4+6 5. H5+6 C4-5 6. H6+4+ K4+1 7. C5=3 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 1: K5+1 2. H9-7 C4+2 3. H7+6+ K5=4 4. C5=6 C4-1 5. H6-8+ C4=5 6. H8+9 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 15 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 8: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C2=5 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. 7: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2)Next puzzle: No. 9: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant →