No. 12: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)

"No. 12: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 20 moves; the key first move is H6+4. 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+4 (check)
1. Black K5=6
1. Black K5=6
2. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K6-1
2. Black K6-1
3. Red H3-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E7+5
3. Black E7+5
4. Red H2+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H5+3
4. Black H5+3
5. Red H1-3 (check)
5. Black K6+1
5. Black K6+1
6. Red H4-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H3+5
6. Black H3+5
7. Red H2+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H5-7
7. Black H5-7
8. Red H1+2 (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.
8. Black K6+1
8. Black K6+1
9. Red H3+4 (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.
9. Black E5-7
9. Black E5-7
10. Red H4-6 (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.
10. Black K6-1
10. Black K6-1
11. Red H2-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black E7+9
11. Black E7+9
12. Red H6-7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black H7+5
12. Black H7+5
13. Red H7+8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black H5-4
13. Black H5-4
14. Red H8+6 (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.
14. Black K6+1
14. Black K6+1
15. Red H3+4 (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 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black E9-7
15. Black E9-7
16. Red H4-6 (check, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Black H4-5
16. Black H4-5
17. Red -H-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 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
17. Black E7+9
17. Black E7+9
18. Red H5-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
18. Black E9+7
18. Black E9+7
19. Red H4+3 (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.
19. Black H5+7
19. Black H5+7
20. Red H3-5 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
20. Red H3-5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: K5=4 2. H4+2 E7+5 3. H3-5 H5+4 4. H5+6 E3+1 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 20 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 12: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H6+4 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. 11: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Cannon, Advisor and Elephant Next puzzle: No. 13: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2) →