No. 17: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and High Soldier

"No. 17: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and High Soldier" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 7 moves; the key first move is H8+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, a Elephant, 2 Horses. Black has a General, a Horse, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red H8+7 (check)
1. Black K4=5
1. Black K4=5
2. Red H7-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black P5=4
2. Black P5=4
3. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K5=4
3. Black K5=4
4. Red H6+5 (check)
4. Black K4+1
4. Black K4+1
5. Red H3+4 (check)
5. Black K4+1
5. Black K4+1
6. Red H5+6 (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 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H5-3
6. Black H5-3
7. Red H6-4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
7. Red H6-4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 4 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: K4=5 6. H5-3 K5-1 7. H4-3 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 3: P4+1 4. E7+9 P4=3 5. H6-8 P3=4 6. H8+7 Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 2: H5+7 3. H3-4 K5=4 4. H6-5 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 1: K4+1 2. H3+4+ K4+1 3. H7+9 H5-3 4. H9+7# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 7 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 17: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Horse and High Soldier"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H8+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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