No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Advisors (2)

"No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Advisors (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Double Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 21 moves; the key first move is H3-1. 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 Horses. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Horse.

Solution move by move

1. Red H3-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black A6-5
1. Black A6-5
2. Red H1-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black H4+3
2. Black H4+3
3. Red H3+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black H3-4
3. Black H3-4
4. Red H5-7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black H4-3
4. Black H4-3
5. 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.
5. Black H3+4
5. Black H3+4
6. Red +H-8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black H4-3
6. Black H4-3
7. Red K5+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 9 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black H3+2
7. Black H3+2
8. Red K5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black H2+3
8. Black H2+3
9. Red H7+9
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black H3-5
9. Black H3-5
10. Red K5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black H5-6
10. Black H5-6
11. Red H9+8 (check)
11. Black K4=5
11. Black K4=5
12. Red -H+7 (check)
12. Black K5=6
12. Black K5=6
13. Red H8-7
13. Black A5+6
13. Black A5+6
14. Red -H-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 8 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
14. Black A4-5
14. Black A4-5
15. Red H5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
15. Black H6+7
15. Black H6+7
16. Red H3+2 (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.
16. Black K6+1
16. Black K6+1
17. Red H7-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
17. Black A5+4
17. Black A5+4
18. Red K4=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
18. Black A4-5
18. Black A4-5
19. Red H6-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
19. Black H7-9
19. Black H7-9
20. Red H5+7 (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 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
20. Black A5-4
20. Black A5-4
21. Red H7+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
21. Red H7+6

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 19: H7-5 20. H5+3 A5+4 21. H3+2+ K6=5 22. +H-4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 12: K5=4 13. K4=5 H6-8 14. H7-6+ K4=5 15. H8-6+ Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 21 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 3: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Advisors (2)"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Double Horse mates.

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H3-1 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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