No. 29: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors

"No. 29: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is P5+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, a Horse, 2 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C6+6
1. Black C6+6
2. Red H2+3 (check)
2. Black C6-5
2. Black C6-5
3. 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.
3. Black A4+5 (captures the Soldier)
3. Black A4+5
4. Red K4=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.
4. Black K5=6
4. Black K5=6
5. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C6+4
5. Black C6+4
6. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C6+1
6. Black C6+1
7. Red H3-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C6-4
7. Black C6-4
8. Red H1-2 (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 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C6+6
8. Black C6+6
9. Red H2+3 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Red H2+3

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: C6+1 2. H2+3 A5-6 3. K4=5 A4+5 4. P5+1+ A6+5 5. P6=5+ K5=4 6. P5=4 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 29: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P5+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. 28: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 30: Horse and Two Soldiers Win by Rule vs Horse, Two Elephants and One Advisor →