No. 16: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor

"No. 16: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is P5=6. 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 Advisor, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K4=5
1. Black K4=5
2. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5+1
2. Black K5+1
3. Red C3=4
3. Black K5-1
3. Black K5-1
4. Red P6+1
4. Black E7-9
4. Black E7-9
5. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E9+7
5. Black E9+7
6. Red C4=5 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black E5+3
6. Black E5+3
7. Red C5-1
7. Black E7-9
7. Black E7-9
8. Red A4-5 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Black E3-5
8. Black E3-5
9. Red C5+7 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black E9+7
9. Black E9+7
10. Red C5-1 (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.
10. Black E7-9
10. Black E7-9
11. Red A5+4
11. Black E9+7
11. Black E9+7
12. Red C5-6 (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.
12. Black E7-9
12. Black E7-9
13. Red A4-5 (check, threatens mate next move, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
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.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
13. Black A6+5
13. Black A6+5
14. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, 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.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Black K5=6
14. Black K5=6
15. Red A5+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.
15. Black E9+7
15. Black E9+7
16. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. 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 1: A6+5 2. C3=6+ K4=5 3. C6=5 E7-9 4. P6+1 E9+7 5. P6+1 E7-9 6. K5=6 E9+7 7. P6=5+ K5=6 8. C5=4# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 16 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 16: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P5=6 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. 15: Cannon, High Soldier and Elephant Win by Rule vs Lone Cannon Next puzzle: No. 17: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant →