No. 13: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2)

"No. 13: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is H6+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 Horses. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red H6+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black E5+7
1. Black E5+7
2. Red H5-7 (check)
2. Black K4=5
2. Black K4=5
3. Red H8+9
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H2-4
3. Black H2-4
4. Red H9-7 (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.
4. Black K5=4
4. Black K5=4
5. Red +H-5 (check)
5. Black K4+1
5. Black K4+1
6. Red H5+4 (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.
6. Black K4+1
6. Black K4+1
7. Red H7+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 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H4-3
7. Black H4-3
8. Red K4=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 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H3-5
8. Black H3-5
9. Red H6-8 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Red H6-8

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: K4=5 2. H8-6 K5=4 3. H5-7+ K4+1 4. H6+4 H2-4 5. H4+2 H4-3 6. H2+4+ K4+1 7. H7+6 E5-3 8. K4=5 H3+5 9. H6-4+ K4=5 10. -H-3+ Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 9 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 13: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H6+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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