No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (1)

"No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is K5=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 Advisors, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black E5+7
1. Black E5+7
2. Red H8+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E3+5
2. Black E3+5
3. Red H2+3 (check, 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.
3. Black K5=4
3. Black K5=4
4. 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.
4. Black K4+1
4. Black K4+1
5. Red H3-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E5-7
5. Black E5-7
6. Red H4-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black -E+5
6. Black -E+5
7. 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 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A5-6
7. Black A5-6
8. Red H6+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.
8. Black K4=5
8. Black K4=5
9. Red +H-6 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Red +H-6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: A5-6 2. H8+7 A4-5 3. H2+3+ K5=4 4. H7+8+ K4+1 5. H3-5 Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (1)"?

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 K5=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. 2: Lone Horse Wins by Rule vs Single Advisor (2)Next puzzle: No. 4: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (2) →