No. 25: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Cannon and Advisor (2)

"No. 25: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Cannon and Advisor (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 11 moves; the key first move is K6+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, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Advisor, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black A5-6
1. Black A5-6
2. Red P6=5 (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.
2. Black A6+5
2. Black A6+5
3. Red P5=4 (check, 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.
3. Black K6=5
3. Black K6=5
4. Red H3+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 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black A5+4 (threatens mate next move)
4. Black A5+4
5. Red H1+3 (check, 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.
5. Black K5-1 (threatens mate next move)
5. Black K5-1
6. Red H3+5 (captures the Cannon, sacrifices the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black K5-1 (captures the Horse)
6. Black K5-1
7. Red P4+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black K5+1
7. Black K5+1
8. Red K6-1
8. Black K5-1
8. Black K5-1
9. Red P4+1
9. Black A4-5
9. Black A4-5
10. Red K6=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.
10. Black K5=4
10. Black K5=4
11. 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.
11. 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 4: C5=6 5. H1+3+ C6+1 6. P4=5+ K5=6 7. H3-2# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 11 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 25: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Cannon and Advisor (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move K6+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. 23: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse and Advisor (2)Next puzzle: No. 26: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Cannon and Elephant →