No. 8: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (1)

"No. 8: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 6 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 Elephants, 2 Cannons. Black has a General, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red C1=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K5-1
1. Black K5-1
2. Red C3=5 (check)
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K4+1
3. Black K4+1
4. 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.
4. Black K4-1
4. Black K4-1
5. Red C6+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E5-7
5. Black E5-7
6. Red C5=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
6. Red C5=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: E3-1 2. C3=5+ E5+3 3. C7=5+ K5=4 4. K4=5 K4-1 5. +C=6 E3-5 6. C5+7 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 6 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 8: Two Cannons and Two Elephants Win by Rule vs Two Elephants (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

6 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.

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