No. 5: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Soldiers and Two Advisors

"No. 5: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Soldiers and Two Advisors" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 16 moves; the key first move is K5=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, a Elephant, 2 Horses. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Soldiers.

Solution move by move

1. Red K5=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 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black P5=4
1. Black P5=4
2. Red H2+3 (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.
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red H7+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black P6=5
3. Black P6=5
4. Red H5+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black A5+4
4. Black A5+4
5. Red H7+8 (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.
5. Black K4+1
5. Black K4+1
6. Red H3-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black A6+5
6. Black A6+5
7. Red H5-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A5-6
7. Black A5-6
8. Red H4+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black P4+1
8. Black P4+1
9. Red H3+4 (captures the Advisor, check, the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black K4=5
9. Black K4=5
10. Red H8-6 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black P5=6
10. Black P5=6
11. Red H6+7 (check)
11. Black K5=6
11. Black K5=6
12. Red H4-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black P6+1
12. Black P6+1
13. Red H2-3 (check)
13. Black K6-1
13. Black K6-1
14. 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 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black P4+1 (check)
14. Black P4+1
15. Red K6+1 (captures the Soldier, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
15. Black P6=7
15. Black P6=7
16. Red H3+2 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
16. Red H3+2

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: A5+4 2. H2+3+ K5=4 3. H3-4 K4+1 4. H7+5 P6=7 5. H5+4+ K4-1 6. +H+2 A6+5 7. H4+5 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 16 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 5: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Soldiers and Two Advisors"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move K5=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. 4: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (2)Next puzzle: No. 6: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Two Soldiers and Two Elephants →