No. 11: Three Soldiers Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants (1)

"No. 11: Three Soldiers 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=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, 3 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants.

Solution move by move

1. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K4-1
1. Black K4-1
2. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
2. Black K4=5
2. Black K4=5
3. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black E3-1
3. Black E3-1
4. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E1+3
4. Black E1+3
5. Red P6=5 (captures the Advisor, check, sacrifices the Soldier)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
5. Black A6+5 (captures the Soldier)
5. Black A6+5
6. Red P7+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black E3-1
6. Black E3-1
7. Red P7=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A5+4
7. Black A5+4
8. Red K5=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 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black A4-5
8. Black A4-5
9. Red P4=5 (captures the Advisor, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. 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: E5+7 2. P6+1+ A5+4 3. P7=6+ K4-1 4. P6+1+ K4=5 5. P6+1# 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. 11: Three Soldiers 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=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. 10: Three Low Soldiers Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor Next puzzle: No. 12: Three Soldiers Win by Rule vs Full Advisors and Elephants →