No. 38: Cannon, Two Soldiers, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse, Two Advisors and One Elephant

"No. 38: Cannon, Two Soldiers, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse, Two Advisors and One Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 11 moves; the key first move is P6=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 Advisor, a Elephant, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red P6=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H3+1
1. Black H3+1
2. Red C5=6 (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.
2. Black K4=5
2. Black K4=5
3. Red C6=3 (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 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E7+9
3. Black E7+9
4. Red C3=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black K5=4
4. Black K5=4
5. Red C2=6 (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.
5. Black K4=5
5. Black K4=5
6. Red P7=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H1+3
6. Black H1+3
7. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
7. Black H3-5
7. Black H3-5
8. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
8. Black H5-3
8. Black H5-3
9. Red C6=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black E9-7
9. Black E9-7
10. Red C2+9 (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 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black H3+5
10. Black H3+5
11. Red P4=5 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Red P4=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: H3-2 2. C5=6+ K4=5 3. C6=3 E7+9 4. C3=2 E9-7 5. C2+9 H2+1 6. P7+1 H1+3 7. P4=5+ K5=4 8. P7+1 H3-5 9. P7=6# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 11 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 38: Cannon, Two Soldiers, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse, Two Advisors and One Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P6=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. 37: Cannon, Two Soldiers, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant Next puzzle: No. 1: Horse, Cannon and Elephant Draw by Rule vs Horse and Two Soldiers →