No. 30: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant

"No. 30: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 14 moves; the key first move is C3=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, 2 Advisors, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Elephant, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red C3=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5=4
1. Black K5=4
2. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K4-1
2. Black K4-1
3. Red A5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H3+1
3. Black H3+1
4. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H1+3 (check, the only legal reply)
4. Black H1+3
5. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H3+2
5. Black H3+2
6. Red C5=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H2-4 (captures the Advisor)
6. Black H2-4
7. Red C2=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.
7. Black E7+5
7. Black E7+5
8. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black K4=5
8. Black K4=5
9. Red K5=6 (captures the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black E5-3
9. Black E5-3
10. Red C6=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black E3+1
10. Black E3+1
11. Red P6=5
11. Black E1+3
11. Black E1+3
12. Red C8=5 (check, 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 K5=6
12. Black K5=6
13. Red P5+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.
13. Black E3-5
13. Black E3-5
14. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 1: E7+5 2. K4-1 H3+2 3. P6+1 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 2: H3+5 3. P6+1 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 14 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 30: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Horse and Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C3=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.

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