No. 8: Lone Horse vs Lone Elephant (1)

"No. 8: Lone Horse vs Lone Elephant (1)" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Lone Horse mates. Red moves first and wins in 8 moves; the key first move is H9+8. 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 Horse. Black has a General, a Elephant.

Solution move by move

1. Red H9+8
1. Black K5-1
1. Black K5-1
2. Red H8-7
2. Black K5=4
2. Black K5=4
3. Red H7+5 (captures the Elephant, check, threatens mate next move)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Elephant.
Creates an immediate mating threat that must be answered.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
3. Black K4=5
3. Black K4=5
4. Red K5=6 (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 K5+1
4. Black K5+1
5. Red H5+3 (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.
5. Black K5=6
5. Black K5=6
6. Red H3-4
6. Black K6+1
6. Black K6+1
7. Red H4+2 (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.
7. Black K6=5
7. Black K6=5
8. Red H2+3 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
8. Red H2+3

Variations and alternative defences

What if Black defends differently? The alternatives below were checked with the rules engine; lines marked with a mating move lose at once, the others are worth trying on the analysis board.

1. Black K5-1
- If Black plays K5=6 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5=4 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
2. Black K5=4
- If Black plays K5=6 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
- If Black plays K5+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
3. Black K4=5
- If Black plays K4+1 instead: no immediate mate; the attack continues. Try it on the board
6. Black K6+1
- If Black plays K6-1 instead: Red mates immediately with H4+6. 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 "No. 8: Lone Horse vs Lone Elephant (1)"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Lone Horse 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 H9+8 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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