No. 9: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (1)

"No. 9: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is K5+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 Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black H5+7
1. Black H5+7
2. Red P3=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black H7-5
2. Black H7-5
3. Red P4=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 H5-3
3. Black H5-3
4. Red H7+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H3+1
4. Black H3+1
5. Red H5-6 (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 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black H1+3
5. Black H1+3
6. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H3+1
6. Black H3+1
7. Red H6+4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Red H6+4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 4: H3+2 5. H5-6 H2+4 6. H6+8+ H4-3 7. K5-1# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 9: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs Lone Horse (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move K5+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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