No. 15: Two Cannons and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors

"No. 15: Two Cannons and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 15 moves; the key first move is A5+6. 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 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red A5+6 (check)
1. Black K4=5
1. Black K4=5
2. Red C6=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=6
2. Black K5=6
3. Red C3=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C7+7 (check)
3. Black C7+7
4. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C7-4
4. Black C7-4
5. Red C5+8 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C7=6
5. Black C7=6
6. Red C4+5 (captures the Cannon, check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Black A6-5 (captures the Cannon)
6. Black A6-5
7. Red C4=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black K6=5
7. Black K6=5
8. Red C3-6
8. Black K5=4
8. Black K5=4
9. Red C3=2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K4=5
9. Black K4=5
10. Red C2=5
10. Black K5=6
10. Black K5=6
11. Red C5+8 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
11. Black K6=5
11. Black K6=5
12. Red K5+1
12. Black K5=4
12. Black K5=4
13. Red C5=3 (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.
13. Black K4+1
13. Black K4+1
14. Red C3-8 (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.
14. Black K4+1
14. Black K4+1
15. Red C3=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Red C3=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 2: K5=4 3. C3=6+ K4=5 4. C4+6 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 15 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 15: Two Cannons and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move A5+6 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. 14: Two Cannons and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 16: Two Cannons with Full Advisors and Elephants Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants →