No. 9: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (2)

"No. 9: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (2)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Double Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 5 moves; the key first move is H3+4. 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, a Advisor, 2 Horses. Black has a General, 2 Elephants, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red H3+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.
1. Black C5+1
1. Black C5+1
2. Red H4-2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 21 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black E7-9
2. Black E7-9
3. Red H2-4 (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.
3. Black C5+2
3. Black C5+2
4. Red H4+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 16 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
4. Black E3-1
4. Black E3-1
5. Red H7+9 (captures the Elephant)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 19 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Red H7+9

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 4: E3-5 5. H5-3 C5=6 6. H3+4 C6-2 7. H7-5# Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 2: E7-5 3. H2-4# Try it on the board

Final position

The record ends here.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 9: Two Horses Cleverly Win vs Cannon and Two Elephants (2)"?

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

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move H3+4 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.

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