No. 27: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (2)

"No. 27: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 13 moves; the key first move is E5+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 Elephants, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red E5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K6=5
1. Black K6=5
2. Red E3-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black H3+2
2. Black H3+2
3. Red K5=6 (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.
3. Black K5=6
3. Black K5=6
4. Red P5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H2-1
4. Black H2-1
5. Red K6=5 (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 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H1+3 (check)
5. Black H1+3
6. Red K5+1 (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 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H3-4 (check)
6. Black H3-4
7. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H4+6 (check)
7. Black H4+6
8. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H6+7 (check)
8. Black H6+7
9. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black H7-6 (check)
9. Black H7-6
10. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black H6-7
10. Black H6-7
11. Red C5=4 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Black H7+6
11. Black H7+6
12. Red P4+1 (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 K6-1
12. Black K6-1
13. Red P4+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
13. Red P4+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: K5=4 3. P5=6 H3+2 4. C5=7 H2+4 5. K5-1 H4-3 6. C7=6+ H3+4 7. K5=6 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 13 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 27: Cannon, High Soldier and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move E5+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.

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