No. 8: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (1)

"No. 8: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Double Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 17 moves; the key first move is H8-7. 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 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H8-7 (check)
1. Black C4-1
1. Black C4-1
2. Red K4+1
2. Black E1-3
2. Black E1-3
3. Red H7+6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C4=6
3. Black C4=6
4. Red H6-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black -E+1
4. Black -E+1
5. Red H5+7
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black K5=4
5. Black K5=4
6. Red H7-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C6-2
6. Black C6-2
7. Red H3+4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black E1-3
7. Black E1-3
8. Red K4=5 (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 20 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C6=5
8. Black C6=5
9. Red H6+4 (check, the only legal reply, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
9. Black C5+2
9. Black C5+2
10. Red +H-3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 6 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black +E-5
10. Black +E-5
11. Red H3-5 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
11. Black K4-1
11. Black K4-1
12. Red H5-6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 4 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black E5-7
12. Black E5-7
13. Red H6+7 (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.
13. Black K4-1
13. Black K4-1
14. Red H7+8 (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.
14. Black K4+1
14. Black K4+1
15. Red H4-2
15. Black E7+5
15. Black E7+5
16. Red H2+3
16. Black E5-7
16. Black E5-7
17. Red H3+4 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Red H3+4

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 12 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: C6-1 6. H3+4+ K5=4 7. H7-6 E1-3 8. K4=5 C6=5 9. H6+4+ Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 6: C6-1 7. H7+6+ Try it on the board
Variation 3, from move 5: C6-2 6. H3+4 K5=4 7. H7-6 E1-3 8. K4=5 Try it on the board
Variation 4, from move 6: E1-3 7. H7+6+ Try it on the board
Variation 5, from move 5: C6=4 6. H3+4+ K5=4 7. H7-6 C4=5 8. H6+4 Try it on the board
Variation 6, from move 5: C6=3 6. H7+6+ K5=4 7. H6-8+ C3-2 8. H3+4 E3-5 9. H8-7 C3=5 10. H7+9 Try it on the board
Variation 7, from move 4: 4. H6+4+ K5=6 Try it on the board
Variation 8, from move 3: +E-1 4. H6+4+ K5=4 5. K4=5 C4=7 6. H3+5 E3+5 7. H4-5 Try it on the board
Variation 9, from move 3: K5=4 4. H6-8 Try it on the board
Variation 10, from move 3: C4-1 4. H6+4# Try it on the board
Variation 11, from move 2: 2. H3-4+ K5=6 3. K4=5 C4=5 4. H7+6+ C5-2 5. H4+6+ K6-1 6. -H+5 E3-5 7. H6-7 K6=5 8. H7+9 Try it on the board
Variation 12, from move 1: K5=4 2. H3+4 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 17 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 8: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (1)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H8-7 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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