No. 32: Cannon, High Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant

"No. 32: Cannon, High Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 26 moves; the key first move is P6=5. 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, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Elephant, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red P6=5 (check)
1. Black K5=6
1. Black K5=6
2. Red C5=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E7-9
2. Black E7-9
3. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H3-4
3. Black H3-4
4. Red A6-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Advisor stands where it can be captured.
4. Black H4-5
4. Black H4-5
5. Red E3-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H5+3
5. Black H5+3
6. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H3-4
6. Black H3-4
7. Red A5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H4-5 (captures the Soldier)
7. Black H4-5
8. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black E9+7
8. Black E9+7
9. Red C3=4 (check)
9. Black K6=5
9. Black K6=5
10. Red C4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black E7-5
10. Black E7-5
11. Red K5=6 (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.
11. Black K5=6
11. Black K5=6
12. Red C5+8 (captures the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black K6+1
12. Black K6+1
13. Red C5=9
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black K6=5
13. Black K6=5
14. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black E5-3
14. Black E5-3
15. Red C9-8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black E3+1
15. Black E3+1
16. Red C9=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
16. Black E1+3
16. Black E1+3
17. Red A4-5 (check)
17. Black K5=6
17. Black K5=6
18. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
18. Black E3-5
18. Black E3-5
19. Red A5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
19. Black K6=5
19. Black K6=5
20. Red C5+7 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
20. Black K5-1
20. Black K5-1
21. Red C5+1
21. Black K5=4
21. Black K5=4
22. Red C5=7 (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.
22. Black K4+1
22. Black K4+1
23. Red A4-5
23. Black K4+1
23. Black K4+1
24. Red C7-8 (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.
24. Black K4-1
24. Black K4-1
25. Red C7=6 (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.
25. Black K4+1
25. Black K4+1
26. Red A5+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
26. Red A5+6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 3 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 1: K5=4 2. C5=3 E7-9 3. P5+1 H3-1 4. K6=5 K4=5 5. P5+1+ K5=6 6. K5-1 H1+3+ 7. K5=6 H3-4 8. C3=4 E9+7 9. K6=5 H4+2 10. A6-5 H2+4 11. C4+1 H4-5 12. E3-5 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: H1-3 5. P5=6 H3+2 6. C3+3 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 4: E9+7 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 26 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 32: Cannon, High Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P6=5 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. 31: Cannon, High Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Elephant Next puzzle: No. 33: Cannon, High Soldier, Two Elephants and One Advisor Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (1) →