No. 1: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Two Cannons with Full Advisors and Elephants

"No. 1: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Two Cannons with Full Advisors and Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is C9+3. 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, 2 Cannons.

Solution move by move

1. Red C9+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C2=1
1. Black C2=1
2. Red R2=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black A5+6
2. Black A5+6
3. Red R5=1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 28 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C8=7
3. Black C8=7
4. Red R1+3 (check)
4. Black C7-2
4. Black C7-2
5. Red R1-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 28 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C7+2
5. Black C7+2
6. Red R1=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black A6-5
6. Black A6-5
7. Red C9=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 23 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C1=2
7. Black C1=2
8. Red R3=1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 29 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C2=3
8. Black C2=3

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: A5+4 3. R5=1 C8=7 4. R1+3+ C7-2 5. R1-2 C7=6 6. C9=8 C1=2 7. R1-1 +A-5 8. R1=5 E5+3 9. R5-1 +E-1 10. K4=5 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 7: C6=7 8. R1=8 C2=1 9. R8+1 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 1: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Two Cannons with Full Advisors and Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C9+3 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. 16: Two Cannons with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants Next puzzle: No. 2: Chariot and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants Draw by Rule vs Horse and Cannon with Full Advisors and Elephants →