No. 36: Cannon, Two Soldiers and Advisor Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors

"No. 36: Cannon, Two Soldiers and Advisor Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 15 moves; the key first move is C3=4. 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 Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red C3=4 (check)
1. Black K6=5
1. Black K6=5
2. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red C4=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K4=5
3. Black K4=5
4. Red P6+1 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C2=7 (captures the Soldier)
4. Black C2=7
5. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C7=5
5. Black C7=5
6. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black K5+1 (captures the Soldier)
6. Black K5+1
7. Red C6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C5+5
7. Black C5+5
8. Red C5+2 (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.
8. Black K5+1
8. Black K5+1
9. Red K5=6
9. Black K5-1
9. Black K5-1
10. Red C5-2
10. Black K5-1
10. Black K5-1
11. Red A4-5 (check, 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.
11. Black K5=6
11. Black K5=6
12. Red K6+1 (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.
12. Black K6+1
12. Black K6+1
13. Red K6=5
13. Black K6+1
13. Black K6+1
14. Red A5+4 (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.
14. Black K6-1
14. Black K6-1
15. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: C2=7 3. P6+1 C7-1 4. C4=5 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. 36: Cannon, Two Soldiers and Advisor Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors"?

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 C3=4 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. 35: Cannon, High Soldier, Two Elephants and One Advisor Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (3)Next puzzle: No. 37: Cannon, Two Soldiers, Two Advisors and One Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant →