No. 18: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Lone Horse

"No. 18: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Lone Horse" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 12 moves; the key first move is P4=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 Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red P4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H8-6
1. Black H8-6
2. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
2. Black H6+7 (check)
2. Black H6+7
3. Red K4+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H7-6
3. Black H7-6
4. Red A5+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H6-5 (captures the Soldier)
4. Black H6-5
5. 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.
5. Black K4=5
5. Black K4=5
6. Red C5+7 (captures the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black K5-1
6. Black K5-1
7. Red C5+1
7. Black K5=6
7. Black K5=6
8. Red C5=3 (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.
8. Black K6+1
8. Black K6+1
9. Red C3-7
9. Black K6+1
9. Black K6+1
10. Red A6-5 (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.
10. Black K6-1
10. Black K6-1
11. Red C3=4 (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.
11. Black K6+1
11. Black K6+1
12. Red A5+4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
12. Red A5+4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: H6+4 3. A5+6 H4+3 4. C5+1 H3+2 5. C5=7 K4-1 6. P5+1 H2-4 7. K4=5# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 12 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 18: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Lone Horse"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P4=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. 17: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant Next puzzle: No. 19: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Lone Cannon →