No. 23: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse and Advisor (2)

"No. 23: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse and Advisor (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 18 moves; the key first move is P6+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 Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H3-2
1. Black H3-2
2. Red H2-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red P6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black A5-6
3. Black A5-6
4. Red H1+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black K4=5
4. Black K4=5
5. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H2+4
5. Black H2+4
6. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H4+6
6. Black H4+6
7. Red P6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H6+7
7. Black H6+7
8. Red H3+4 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H7-9
8. Black H7-9
9. Red K4+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black H9+7
9. Black H9+7
10. Red H4-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black K5=4
10. Black K5=4
11. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black H7+5
11. Black H7+5
12. Red K4-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black H5-6
12. Black H5-6
13. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black H6-5 (captures the Soldier)
13. Black H6-5
14. Red H3+5 (captures the Horse)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Horse.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Black K4=5
14. Black K4=5
15. Red K5+1
15. Black K5=6
15. Black K5=6
16. Red H5-4 (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.
16. Black K6+1
16. Black K6+1
17. Red H4+2 (check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Black K6+1
17. Black K6+1
18. Red K5-1 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
18. Red K5-1

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 3: H2+3 4. H1+3 K4+1 5. P5+1+ K4+1 6. H3-2 H3+4 7. K5+1 H4+5 8. H2+4+ K4=5 9. H4-6+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: H3+2 2. P6+1 H2-3 3. H2-1 H3+5 4. P6=5+ K5=4 5. K5+1 H5-3 6. H1+3 H3+2 7. H3-5 H2-1 8. H5+7+ H1-3 9. K5-1# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 18 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 23: Horse and High Soldier Win by Rule vs Horse and Advisor (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P6+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.

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