No. 9: Three Low Soldiers Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant

"No. 9: Three Low Soldiers Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 9 moves; the key first move is P7+1. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

Solve this puzzle on ChessZing →

Free, in the browser, no download.

Pieces on the board

Red has a General, 3 Soldiers. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Elephant.

Solution move by move

1. Red P7+1 (check)
1. Black K4-1
1. Black K4-1
2. Red P8=7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E5+3
2. Black E5+3
3. Red P4+1 (captures the Advisor)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Advisor.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Soldier stands where it can be captured.
3. Black E3-5
3. Black E3-5
4. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black A5-6 (captures the Soldier)
4. Black A5-6
5. Red -P=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black A6+5
5. Black A6+5
6. Red P7=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.
6. Black K4=5
6. Black K4=5
7. Red -P=5 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black A5+4
7. Black A5+4
8. Red K5=4 (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.
8. Black A4-5
8. Black A4-5
9. Red P5+1 (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 P5+1

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: A5-6 4. -P=6 A6+5 5. P7=6+ K4=5 6. +P=5+ K5=6 7. P6+1 E3-5 8. 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. 9: Three Low Soldiers Win by Rule vs Two Advisors and One Elephant"?

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 P7+1 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. 8: Two High Soldiers Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Soldiers Next puzzle: No. 10: Three Low Soldiers Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor →