No. 4: Horse and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 4: Horse and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is H2+3. 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, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Horse, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H2+3
1. Black K5=6
1. Black K5=6
2. Red C5=4 (check)
2. Black A5+6
2. Black A5+6
3. Red C4=1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black A6-5
3. Black A6-5
4. Red C1+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E5+7
4. Black E5+7
5. Red H3-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E3+5
5. Black E3+5
6. Red H4+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 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C6=8
6. Black C6=8
7. Red H2-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C8=9
7. Black C8=9

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: 3. C4=9 A6-5 4. C9+3 E5+3 5. H3-4 +E-1 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 4: Horse and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H2+3 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. 3: Horse and Cannon Draw by Rule vs Cannon and Two Elephants Next puzzle: No. 5: Horse and Cannon Draw by Rule vs Lone Chariot →