No. 6: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs High Soldier and Two Elephants

"No. 6: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs High Soldier and Two Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is H2-4. 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, 2 Elephants, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red H2-4
1. Black P5+1
1. Black P5+1
2. Red H4-6 (check)
2. Black K5=6
2. Black K5=6
3. Red P4=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black P5=4
3. Black P5=4
4. Red H6+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E3-5
4. Black E3-5
5. Red H4-5 (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 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black P4=5
5. Black P4=5
6. Red H5+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Red H5+6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: E1-3 2. H4-6+ K5=6 3. P4=3 P5=4 4. H6+4 +E-5 5. H4-5 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 1: K5=6 2. P4=3 P5=4 3. H4-3 P4=5 4. H3-5 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Horse and Low Soldier Win by Rule vs High Soldier and Two Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H2-4 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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 4: Horse and Bottom Soldier Win by Rule vs Advisor and Elephant (2)Next puzzle: No. 7: Horse, Low Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two High Soldiers →