No. 6: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)

"No. 6: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Double Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 14 moves; the key first move is E5-3. 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, a Elephant, 2 Horses. Black has a General, 2 Advisors, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red E5-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 12 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black C4=1
1. Black C4=1
2. Red H4+2
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 +H+4 (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.
3. Black K5=6
3. Black K5=6
4. Red H2+3 (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 H4+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C2=1
5. Black C2=1
6. Red H6-5 (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 K6+1
6. Black K6+1
7. Red H5-4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C1=2
7. Black C1=2
8. Red H4+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C2=1
8. Black C2=1
9. Red +H+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black C1=2
9. Black C1=2
10. Red H3+5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C2-1
10. Black C2-1
11. Red H2-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black C2+2
11. Black C2+2
12. Red H1-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black C2-1
12. Black C2-1
13. Red H5-4 (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 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
13. Black C2-1
13. Black C2-1
14. Red H4+6 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
14. Red H4+6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 7: K6-1 8. H4+3 K6+1 9. +H-1 C1=2 10. H1-3 C2+2 11. -H-5 C2=5+ 12. H5+6 A5+4 13. H3-4 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 2: C1+1 3. +H+4+ K5=6 4. H4+2+ K6+1 5. -H+3 C1=5 6. H3+2# Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 14 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 6: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move E5-3 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. 7: Two Horses and Elephant Win by Rule vs Cannon and Two Advisors (2)Next puzzle: No. 5: Two Horses Win by Rule vs Horse and Two Elephants (2) →