No. 14: Three Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Elephants

"No. 14: Three Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Elephants" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 8 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, 3 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C1+2
1. Black C1+2
2. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C1=2
2. Black C1=2
3. Red -P+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 13 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C2-1
3. Black C2-1
4. Red P4+1 (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 K6-1
4. Black K6-1
5. Red +P=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black E5+7
5. Black E5+7
6. Red P6+1 (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 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C2=5 (captures the Soldier)
6. Black C2=5
7. Red P4+1 (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.
7. Black K6=5
7. Black K6=5
8. Red P4=5 (captures the Cannon, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Red P4=5

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 1: C1=6 2. K4+1 E3-1 3. P5+1 C6+3 4. P6=5+ K6-1 5. -P=4 C6=5 6. P4+1# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 14: Three Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Elephants"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

8 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.

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