No. 6: Cannon and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Single Elephant

"No. 6: Cannon and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Single Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 8 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 Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Elephant.

Solution move by move

1. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black E1+3
1. Black E1+3
2. Red C5=6 (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.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black K4=5
2. Black K4=5
3. Red P6+1
3. Black E3-1
3. Black E3-1
4. Red C6+2
4. Black E1+3
4. Black E1+3
5. Red K4+1
5. Black E3-1
5. Black E3-1
6. Red C6=8
6. Black E1-3
6. Black E1-3
7. Red C8+2
7. Black K5-1
7. Black K5-1
8. Red P6+1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Red P6+1

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

1. Black E1+3
- If Black plays E1-3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K4=5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K4-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
3. Black E3-1
- If Black plays E3-5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
4. Black E1+3
- If Black plays E1-3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
5. Black E3-1
- If Black plays K5-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
6. Black E1-3
- If Black plays K5-1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
7. Black K5-1
- If Black plays E3+5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Cannon and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Single Elephant"?

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 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. 5: Cannon, Low Soldier, Advisor and Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant Next puzzle: No. 7: Cannon, Two Low Soldiers, Two Elephants and One Advisor Draw by Rule vs Horse with Full Advisors and Elephants →