No. 33: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant

"No. 33: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 14 moves; the key first move is H4+2. 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 Horse, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H4+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black E7+9
1. Black E7+9
2. Red P2=1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C4+1
2. Black C4+1
3. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black A5+6
3. Black A5+6
4. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C4=2
4. Black C4=2
5. Red P1+1 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black A6-5
5. Black A6-5
6. Red H2+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 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C2-1
6. Black C2-1
7. Red P1=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C2=3
7. Black C2=3
8. Red P2=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C3=2
8. Black C3=2
9. Red H1-3 (check, sacrifices the Horse, 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.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for
Gives up the Horse; the follow-up must be exact or the sacrifice is wasted.
9. Black C2=7 (captures the Horse)
9. Black C2=7
10. Red P3+1 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
10. Black A5-6
10. Black A5-6
11. Red K4=5
11. Black A4+5
11. Black A4+5
12. Red P5+1 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
12. Black A6+5 (captures the Soldier)
12. Black A6+5
13. Red P3=4 (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.
13. Black K5=4
13. Black K5=4
14. Red P4=5 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Red P4=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: C4=6 4. P5+1 C6=7 5. H2+1 A5-6 6. H1-3# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 14 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 33: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Advisors and One Elephant"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H4+2 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. 32: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon, Two Elephants and One Advisor Next puzzle: No. 1: Cannon and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Single Elephant →