No. 3: Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors

"No. 3: Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 22 moves; the key first move is A4-5. 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, a Advisor, a Cannon. Black has a General, 2 Advisors.

Solution move by move

1. Red A4-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K4=5
1. Black K4=5
2. Red A5+6
2. Black K5=6
2. Black K5=6
3. Red C3=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K6=5
3. Black K6=5
4. Red C6=4 (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.
4. Black K5=4
4. Black K5=4
5. Red C4=5
5. Black A5+4
5. Black A5+4
6. Red C5=6
6. Black A6-5
6. Black A6-5
7. Red C6-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black K4=5
7. Black K4=5
8. Red C6+7 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Black K5=6
8. Black K5=6
9. Red C6-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black A5+4
9. Black A5+4
10. Red K5+1
10. Black A4-5
10. Black A4-5
11. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black K6=5
11. Black K6=5
12. Red C6=4
12. Black K5=6
12. Black K5=6
13. Red C4-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black K6+1
13. Black K6+1
14. Red A6-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black K6-1
14. Black K6-1
15. Red A5+4 (check)
15. Black K6=5
15. Black K6=5
16. Red C4=5
16. Black K5=4
16. Black K5=4
17. Red C5+7 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Black K4=5
17. Black K4=5
18. Red A4-5
18. Black K5=4
18. Black K5=4
19. Red C5=7 (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.
19. Black K4+1
19. Black K4+1
20. Red C7-7
20. Black K4+1
20. Black K4+1
21. Red A5+6 (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.
21. Black K4-1
21. Black K4-1
22. Red C7=6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
22. Red C7=6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 7: K4+1 8. A6-5# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 22 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 3: Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Advisors"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move A4-5 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.

← Previous puzzle: No. 2: Cannon and Advisor Win by Rule vs Single Advisor Next puzzle: No. 4: Cannon and Two Advisors Win by Rule vs Single Soldier →