No. 4: Cannon and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Single Soldier

"No. 4: Cannon and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Single Soldier" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is C3=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, a Cannon. Black has a General, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red C3=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black P4=3
1. Black P4=3
2. Red K6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black P3+1
2. Black P3+1
3. Red C6=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.
3. Black K5=6
3. Black K5=6
4. Red K6=5 (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 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black P3=4
4. Black P3=4
5. Red C5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Red C5=4

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

1. Black P4=3
- If Black plays P4+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays P4=5 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5=6 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
2. Black P3+1
- If Black plays P3=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays P3=2 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5=6 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
4. Black P3=4
- If Black plays P3+1 instead: Red mates immediately with C5=4. Try it on the board
- If Black plays P3=2 instead: Red mates immediately with C5=4. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K6+1 instead: Red mates immediately with C5=4. Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 5 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 4: Cannon and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Single Soldier"?

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 C3=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. 3: Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors Next puzzle: No. 5: Cannon and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Elephant and High Soldier →