No. 7: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 7: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 4 moves; the key first move is C1+7. 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, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, a Chariot.

Solution move by move

1. Red C1+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black R6-1
1. Black R6-1
2. Red R2+5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
2. Black R6-3
2. Black R6-3
3. Red A5+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E3+1
3. Black E3+1
4. Red C1=4 (captures the Chariot, sacrifices the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Chariot.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black A5-6 (captures the Cannon)
4. Black A5-6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: 1. C1=5 R6=5 2. K5=4 R5=6+ 3. K4=5 R6=5 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 7: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C1+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. 6: Chariot, Cannon and Two Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants Next puzzle: No. 8: Chariot and Cannon Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Low Soldier →