No. 1: Horse and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor

"No. 1: Horse and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 6 moves; the key first move is H8-7. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

Solve this puzzle on ChessZing →

Free, in the browser, no download.

Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Horse, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Advisor, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red H8-7 (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.
1. Black K4+1
1. Black K4+1
2. 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.
2. Black -E+9
2. Black -E+9
3. Red H7-5 (check)
3. Black K4-1
3. Black K4-1
4. Red H5+4 (check)
4. Black E7-5
4. Black E7-5
5. Red H4-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E9+7
5. Black E9+7
6. Red K5+1
6. Black E5+3
6. Black E5+3

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

2. Black -E+9
- If Black plays +E-9 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays +E-5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A4+5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
3. Black K4-1
- If Black plays K4=5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
4. Black E7-5
- If Black plays K4+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
5. Black E9+7
- If Black plays E5+7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays E5+3 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays E9-7 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A4+5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
6. Black E5+3
- If Black plays E7-9 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays A4+5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 1: Horse and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor"?

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 H8-7 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. 12: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot, Cannon and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 2: Horse and Low Soldier Draw by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant →