No. 7: Horse, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two High Soldiers

"No. 7: Horse, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two High Soldiers" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is A5-4. 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 Advisor, a Horse, a Soldier. Black has a General, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red A5-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black P6=7
1. Black P6=7
2. Red H5+7 (check)
2. Black K4+1
2. Black K4+1
3. Red P4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black P7=8
3. Black P7=8
4. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black P8=7
4. Black P8=7
5. Red P6=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black P7=8
5. Black P7=8
6. Red H7-8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black P8=7
6. Black P8=7
7. Red H8+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black P7=6
7. Black P7=6
8. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black P6=7
8. Black P6=7
9. Red H6-5 (captures the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K4=5
9. Black K4=5
10. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black P7=6
10. Black P7=6
11. Red H5+4 (check)
11. Black K5=6
11. Black K5=6
12. Red P7=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black K6-1
12. Black K6-1
13. Red H4+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black P6=5
13. Black P6=5
14. Red P6=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.
14. Black K6-1
14. Black K6-1
15. Red H6-4 (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.
15. Black P5+1
15. Black P5+1
16. Red H4+3 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Red H4+3

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: P7=6 4. P5=6 P5=4 5. P6=7 P6=5 6. H7-5+ K4=5 7. H5-6 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: P6=7 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 16 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 7: Horse, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two High Soldiers"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move A5-4 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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