No. 6: Chariot, Cannon and Two Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants

"No. 6: Chariot, Cannon and Two Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is C8+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 Elephants, a Chariot, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Chariot.

Solution move by move

1. Red C8+7 (check, 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.
1. Black E3+1
1. Black E3+1
2. Red R2=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 22 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E1+3
2. Black E1+3
3. Red C8-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K6+1
3. Black K6+1
4. Red C8=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black R6-2
4. Black R6-2
5. Red R5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black R6+1
5. Black R6+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: 1. R2+1 R6=5+ 2. C8=5 R5=6 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Chariot, Cannon and Two Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Two Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C8+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. 5: Chariot and Cannon Draw by Rule vs Chariot and Elephant Next puzzle: No. 7: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Chariot with Full Advisors and Elephants →