No. 8: Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 8: Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is P3+1. 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, 2 Elephants, a Cannon, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red P3+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C6-3
1. Black C6-3
2. Red C5=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C6=9
2. Black C6=9
3. Red P3+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black A5+6
3. Black A5+6
4. Red P3=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C9+3
4. Black C9+3
5. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C9=1
5. Black C9=1
6. Red C7=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K5=4
6. Black K5=4
7. Red P7=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A4-5
7. Black A4-5
8. Red C5=1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 24 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C1=9
8. Black C1=9

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: 1. P3=4 K5=6 2. P7=6 C6=9 3. C5+7 C9-3 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 8: Cannon and Two Soldiers with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P3+1 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. 7: Cannon, Two Low Soldiers, Two Elephants and One Advisor Draw by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants Next puzzle: No. 9: Cannon and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Two Advisors →