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    Xiang Qi

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    Sandy Liminata
    Xiangqi is a form of chess that originated in China. It is played on a board with 9 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, rather than squares. The objective is to capture the opponent's King piece, called the Governor/General. Each side has 6 different types of pieces that move in unique ways, some similar to western chess pieces but others with no direct equivalent. The game is played by moving pieces along the lines of the board to attack the opponent's pieces until their King is captured.

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    Xiang Qi

    Uploaded by

    Sandy Liminata
    149 views5 pages
    Xiangqi is a form of chess that originated in China. It is played on a board with 9 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, rather than squares. The objective is to capture the opponent's King piece, called the Governor/General. Each side has 6 different types of pieces that move in unique ways, some similar to western chess pieces but others with no direct equivalent. The game is played by moving pieces along the lines of the board to attack the opponent's pieces until their King is captured.

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    Learn Play Chinese Chinese

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    Xiangqi is a form of chess that originated in China. It is played on a board with 9 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, rather than squares. The objective is to capture the opponent's King piece, called the Governor/General. Each side has 6 different types of pieces that move in unique ways, some similar to western chess pieces but others with no direct equivalent. The game is played by moving pieces along the lines of the board to attack the opponent's pieces until their King is captured.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    149 views5 pages

    Xiang Qi

    Uploaded by

    Sandy Liminata
    Xiangqi is a form of chess that originated in China. It is played on a board with 9 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, rather than squares. The objective is to capture the opponent's King piece, called the Governor/General. Each side has 6 different types of pieces that move in unique ways, some similar to western chess pieces but others with no direct equivalent. The game is played by moving pieces along the lines of the board to attack the opponent's pieces until their King is captured.

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    How to Play Chinese Chess

    Xiangqi ()

    Pronounced shyahng chi, sometimes translated as the elephant game.


    This form of chess has been played for many centuries throughout China.
    Although only beginning to become widely known in the west, Xiangqi is
    probably played by more people than any other board game in the world
    including the familiar western international chess.

    Arrangement
    The pieces are arranged symmetrically, as shown above. Note that some
    pieces on the Red side bear different characters than their counterparts on
    the Black side. They are the same pieces with the same power on
    each side. But names on the Red side are subtly more noble than those on
    the Black side. Its a fair match, but you could say the Reds are the good
    guys. The set you play on may have slightly more or less variation
    between the two sides, and may be of colors other than Red and Black.
    Not to worry; its still the same game.

    The Pieces
    Here are the pieces, their approximate Chinese pronunciations, names
    translated into English, and equivalents in our more familiar western chess:
    Jiang and
    Shuai
    Governor /
    General
    (King)

    Shi
    (Senior) Counselor
    (Queen but very
    different)

    Chuh
    Chariot
    (Rook)

    Pao
    Cannon / Catapult
    (No Equivalent)

    Shiang
    Minister / Elephant
    (Bishop also quite
    different)

    Ping and Tsuh


    Foot Soldier
    (Pawn)

    Ma
    Horse
    (Knight)

    The Moves
    Unlike most other forms of chess, the Chinese game is played on the
    points of intersecting lines, rather than on the squares of the board.

    The Governor/General moves one space at


    a time left, right, forward or backward. He is
    confined to the nine point fortress, on his
    side of the board.

    The Counselor is also confined to the


    fortress. He moves one point diagonally.

    The Minister/Elephant moves exactly two


    points in any diagonal direction. This piece
    can be blocked by another piece on the
    intervening square (A and B in diagram) and
    is not allowed to cross the river, which runs
    between the two sides of the board.

    The Horse moves first one point along the


    horizontal/vertical lines, and then one point
    diagonally. Similar to the knight in western
    chess, but this horse can be blocked by an
    intervening piece. The horse in the diagram
    can not move to the points marked by the
    red Xs; it is blocked by the Black pawn.

    The Chariot moves exactly like the rook in


    western chess: as many spaces as it wishes
    horizontally or vertically, until it meets
    another piece or the edge of the board.

    The Cannon/Catapult is a peculiar piece. It


    moves exactly like the Chariot (or rook)
    when not capturing. But to capture, it must
    have a piece, friend or foe, in line to jump
    over. In this diagram, the Cannon/Catapult
    can capture the enemy pawn, as shown. It
    can not, however, move beyond that pawn,
    or to the unoccupied points A or B.

    The Foot Soldier moves one point forward.


    After it crosses the river, it may also move to
    the right and left, but never backward. Unlike
    the pawn in western chess, this piece
    captures just as it moves normally (see
    diagram). It does not promote upon reaching
    the far end of the board.

    The object of this game is to force capture of the enemy Governor/General


    (King). This may be by checkmate (he is under attack and has no means of
    escape) or by stalemate (he is not under immediate threat, but there is no
    legal, safe move).Except for the Cannon/Catapult (see above), a piece
    captures by using its normal move, and landing on a point occupied by an
    enemy piece. The captured piece is removed from the board and the
    capturing piece takes its place. The Cannon/Catapult also takes the place
    of its captured piece, but must use one intervening piece, as shown in the
    discussion of its unique move.When the Governor/General (King) is being
    threatened with capture, he is said to be in check, and the player must
    move in such a way that the Governor/General is no longer threatened. If
    he can not, he has lost the game.It is not allowed to give perpetual check,
    or a perpetual attack. If the game is repeating its position, the player
    forcing the repetition must do something else.There is a special rule about
    the Governors/Generals. The two may never face each other on the
    same line across the board, with no intervening pieces between them. It is
    said that they may not see each other. This becomes important,
    especially in the end game, as the position of one Governor/General limits
    the movements of the other, and can protect a piece invading the enemy
    fortress.The River, which creates a space between the two sides of the
    board, is generally ignored as if it were filled in with lines, completing a
    board of 9 x 10 points. It only effects the moves of the Elephants, who can
    not cross it, and the Foot Soldiers, who gain more power of move after
    crossing it.
    In tournament play, to begin the game, Red moves first.

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