No. 10: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (2)

"No. 10: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (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 P3=4. 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 Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red P3=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K4-1
1. Black K4-1
2. Red K5-1
2. Black K4-1
2. Black K4-1
3. Red H7+5 (check)
3. Black K4+1
3. Black K4+1
4. Red H5-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H3+5
4. Black H3+5
5. Red P4=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
5. Black K4+1
5. Black K4+1
6. Red H4+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H5-7
6. Black H5-7
7. Red H6+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H7+6
7. Black H7+6
8. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H6+4
8. Black H6+4
9. Red P6=7 (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 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black H4-5
9. Black H4-5
10. Red H4+5 (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.
10. Black K4=5
10. Black K4=5
11. Red P7=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Red P7=6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 7 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 6: H5+7 7. H6+8 H7+5 8. K5+1 K4=5 9. H8-6 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 5: K4-1 6. H4+6 H5+7 7. H6-8 H7-5 8. K5+1 H5+3 9. H8+7# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 4: H3+2 5. P4=5+ K4+1 6. K5+1 H2-3 7. H4+5 H3+1 8. H5-6 H1+3 9. K5-1 H3+1 10. H6+4# Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 4: K4-1 5. H4+6 K4+1 6. P4=5+ K4-1 7. K5+1 H3+4 8. H6+4 H4-5 9. K5-1 Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 6: K4+1 7. H6+8 Try it on the board
Variation 6, from move 3: K4=5 4. K5=6 H3+5 5. H5+7+ H5-4 6. K6+1 K5=4 7. P4=5# Try it on the board
Variation 7, from move 2: K4+1 3. P4=5 H3-4 4. H7+6 H4+2 5. H6-8 H2-4 6. H8-7# 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. 10: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (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 P3=4 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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