No. 7: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2)

"No. 7: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 10 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, 2 Advisors, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

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 C7=8
1. Black C7=8
2. Red C4=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C8+5
3. Black C8+5
4. Red C5=6 (check)
4. Black C8=4
4. Black C8=4
5. Red C6+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C4-1
5. Black C4-1
6. Red C6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K4+1
6. Black K4+1
7. Red H8-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black K4-1
7. Black K4-1
8. Red H6+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C4-2
8. Black C4-2
9. Red C6+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K4=5
9. Black K4=5
10. Red H4+6 (captures the Advisor, check)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
10. Red H4+6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: C7+5 2. H8+7+ K5=4 3. C4=6+ C7=4 4. C6+2 K4+1 5. K4=5 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 7: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

10 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.

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