Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 7

"Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 7" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Cannon & Soldier mates. Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is C4=6. 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 Advisor, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Cannon, a Soldier.

Solution move by move

1. Red C4=6 (check, threatens mate next move, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
1. Black C7=4
1. Black C7=4
2. Red A6-5 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 5 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black C4=5 (check)
2. Black C4=5
3. Red K5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black C5=7
3. Black C5=7
4. Red A5+6 (check, the General has no escape square)
Why it works
Takes away the General's escape squares.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
4. Black C7=4
4. Black C7=4
5. Red C6+2 (captures the Cannon, sacrifices 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.
5. Black P3=4 (captures the Cannon)
5. Black P3=4
6. Red A6-5
6. Black K4-1
6. Black K4-1
7. Red P5+1 (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.
7. Black P4+1
7. Black P4+1
8. Red A5+6 (captures the Soldier, checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
Wins material: takes the Soldier.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Red A5+6

Variations and alternative defences

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

Variation 1, from move 3: P3+1 4. A5+6+ C5=4 5. C6+2 P3=4 6. K6=5 P4=5 7. C6+1 P5=4 8. K5+1 P4=3 9. C6=3 P3=4 10. C3-2 P4=3 11. K5+1 P3+1 12. C3-1 P3=4 13. C3=2 P4=3 14. K5-1 P3+1 15. C2-1 P3=4 16. C2=3 P4=3 17. K5-1 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 8 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 7"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Cannon & Soldier mates.

How many moves does the solution take?

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

What is the key move?

The first move C4=6 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: Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 6 Next puzzle: Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 8 →

Nearby puzzles

Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 4
4 moves
Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 5
12 moves
Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 6
8 moves
Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 8
9 moves
Cannon and Soldier Class, Game 9
11 moves