No. 7: Two High Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers

"No. 7: Two High Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 12 moves; the key first move is P5+1. 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 Soldiers. Black has a General, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C9=5
1. Black C9=5
2. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K5=6 (check)
2. Black K5=6
3. Red P5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C5=6
3. Black C5=6
4. Red P4=3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black C6=5
4. Black C6=5
5. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C5+1
5. Black C5+1
6. Red P3+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C5-1
6. Black C5-1
7. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C5=1
7. Black C5=1
8. Red P6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C1+1
8. Black C1+1
9. Red K6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K6-1
9. Black K6-1
10. Red P5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C1=2
10. Black C1=2
11. Red P3=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 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black C2=3
11. Black C2=3
12. Red P5=4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
12. Red P5=4

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 5: C5=1 6. P3+1 C1+2 7. P3+1+ K6-1 8. P6=5 K6=5 9. P3=4 C1-1 10. P4=5+ K5=6 11. -P=4 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 12 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 7: Two High Soldiers Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Soldiers"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move P5+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.

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