No. 9: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (2)

"No. 9: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 21 moves; the key first move is K4=5. 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, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5=4
1. Black K5=4
2. Red C7=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K4+1
2. Black K4+1
3. Red C3=6 (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.
3. Black K4=5
3. Black K4=5
4. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E5+3
4. Black E5+3
5. Red +C=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 K5-1
5. Black K5-1
6. Red C6=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black E3-1
6. Black E3-1
7. Red C7=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 E7+9
7. Black E7+9
8. Red C3=5 (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.
8. Black K5=6
8. Black K5=6
9. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black E1+3
9. Black E1+3
10. Red +C=4 (threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black E3-5
10. Black E3-5
11. Red C5+7 (captures the Elephant, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black K6=5
11. Black K6=5
12. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black K5+1
12. Black K5+1
13. Red C5-7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black K5-1
13. Black K5-1
14. Red C4=5 (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.
14. Black K5=6
14. Black K5=6
15. Red K6=5
15. Black E9+7
15. Black E9+7
16. Red -C=4 (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.
16. Black E7-5
16. Black E7-5
17. Red C5+6 (captures the Elephant, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Black K6=5
17. Black K6=5
18. Red C5+1
18. Black K5=4
18. Black K5=4
19. Red C5=2 (threatens mate next move, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
19. Black K4+1
19. Black K4+1
20. Red C4+8 (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.
20. Black K4-1
20. Black K4-1
21. Red E7-9 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
21. Red E7-9

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 5 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: K5=6 6. C6=3 E7+9 7. K6=5 K6-1 8. C3=4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: K5-1 5. +C=5+ K5=6 6. C6=3 E7+9 7. K6=5 E9+7 8. C3=4 K6+1 9. C4+6 E5+3 10. C5=4# Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 7: E9-7 8. C3+3 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 5: E5+3 Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 1: E7+9 2. C7=5 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 21 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 9: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move K4=5 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.

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