No. 6: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)

"No. 6: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 17 moves; the key first move is C1=7. 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 C1=7 (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 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5=6
1. Black K5=6
2. Red H4+5 (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 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C8=5 (check)
2. Black C8=5
3. Red H5+3 (check)
3. Black K6+1
3. Black K6+1
4. Red C7=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C5=4
4. Black C5=4
5. Red H3-4 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Black C4=6
5. Black C4=6
6. Red H4+5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black C6=7
6. Black C6=7
7. Red C4-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C7+3
7. Black C7+3
8. Red H5-3 (check)
8. Black K6-1
8. Black K6-1
9. Red H3-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black C7-4
9. Black C7-4
10. Red H5+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.
10. Black C7=6
10. Black C7=6
11. Red H4+2 (check)
11. Black C6=7
11. Black C6=7
12. Red C4=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black A5+4
12. Black A5+4
13. Red C7+8
13. Black -A+5
13. Black -A+5
14. Red C7=3 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black K6+1
14. Black K6+1
15. Red C3-2
15. Black A5+6
15. Black A5+6
16. Red C3=1 (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 A6-5
16. Black A6-5
17. Red C1+2 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Red C1+2

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 6 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 9: C7+1 10. H5+4+ C7=6 11. H4+2+ K6=5 12. C4=7 C6=3 13. C7+2 C3-1 14. C7+1 C3-1 15. C7+1 C3-1 16. C7+1 C3-1 17. H2-4+ K5=6 18. C7=4# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 7: C7-2 8. H5-3+ K6-1 9. H3-4+ K6=5 10. C4=7 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 7: C7+2 8. H5-4+ A5+6 9. H4-6+ A6-5 10. H6-4+ Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 4: A5+4 5. H3-4+ C5=6 6. H4-2+ C6=7 7. H2+3 K6-1 8. H3+5+ -A+5 9. H5-4+ C7=6 10. H4+6+ K6=5 11. H6+4+ K5=4 12. C4=6# Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 1: C8=3 2. H4+3 C3+2 3. H3+2 C3+1 4. K5+1 C3-1 5. C7+1 C3-1 6. C7+1 C3-1 7. H2-4+ K5=6 8. C7=4# Try it on the board
Variation 6, from move 2: K5=6 3. H3+2+ K6+1 4. C7=1 C3=9 5. H2-3+ C9=7 6. C1=3 Try it on the board

Final position

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

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)"?

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 C1=7 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. 5: Horse and Cannon Draw by Rule vs Lone Chariot Next puzzle: No. 7: Horse and Cannon Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2) →