A Chess Player’s Guide to Xiangqi | How to Play Chinese Chess

Welcome to Xiangqi, also known as Chinese chess. Xiangqi has its similarities to international chess, but there are some differences that make it play very differently. In Xiangqi, pieces rest not on squares but on the intersections of a grid. Whereas the international chessboard is 8x8, the Xiangqi board is 9x10. This means that there are 90 positions in Chinese chess versus 64 in international chess, which often makes movement in Xiangqi feel more open than in international chess. Another key difference is that the initial piece layout in Xiangqi is completely symmetrical around the middle file, whereas the placement of the king and queen in international chess break this symmetry. This difference simplifies opening theory in some aspects, as certain moves are identical to each other due to symmetry. Bisecting the board is the river. The back rank of each side of the board has a box, 3x3 lines, called a palace, marked by diagonal lines. Some pieces have unique interactions with the river and the palace, which we will go over as we examine each piece. Xiangqi, like international chess, uses a point system to rate the relative value of pieces. There are five soldiers, which are most similar to pawns in international chess. Initially, the soldier can move forward one position at a time. They capture by moving directly forward into a piece. Once the soldier crosses the river in the center of the board, the pawn can then move and capture forward or sideways, one spot at a time. Unlike the pawn in international chess, the soldier does not get promoted to another piece when it reaches the last rank. The soldier is worth one point before the river, and two points after it has crossed the river. While the board is bigger in Xiangqi, there are fewer pawns. In international chess, players must first maneuver their pawns around in order to make way for the back line. However, in Xiangqi, due to the lack of pawns, players may begin developing their more powerful pieces much earlier, often leading to faster-paced games. The horse moves similarly to a knight in international chess. In Xiangqi, the horse moves one position orthogonally and then continues to one position diagonally. The horse cannot jump over a piece, so if there is a piece next to the horse, it is blocking its leg and it will block the horse's movement to positions that would require the horse to move through the occupied space. The horse captures by landing directly on top of a piece. The horse is worth four points. The chariot is analogous to the rook in international chess and is the most powerful piece in Xiangqi. The chariot can move orthogonally as far as there are open positions and it captures an opponent piece by landing on it. The chariot is worth nine points. The general, analogous to the king in international chess, is the most important piece in Xiangqi and the goal of the game is to checkmate your opponent's general, just like in international chess. The general moves orthogonally one position at a time and he is restricted to moving within the palace. The two opposing generals cannot face each other across the board without pieces between them. This is called the flying general rule. This rule means that generals can actually be used offensively to block the opposing general from moving into certain positions. The cannon is unique to Xiangqi and has no international chess equivalent. It is a very powerful piece. It moves like a chariot orthogonally as many positions as are open. The unique thing about the cannon is how it captures opponent pieces. The cannon must jump over a piece, which can be from either army, along its path and then land on its victim to capture it. The cannon is worth 4.5 points. Advisors also have no international chess equivalent. There are two, one on each side of the king. The advisors are restricted to the palace around the general. The advisor can move diagonally one position at a time. It captures by moving directly into a piece. The advisor is worth two points. The elephant is similar to a bishop. It moves diagonally exactly two positions. The elephant's movement can be blocked by an intervening piece along its path. Additionally, the elephant cannot cross the river, making it mostly a defensive piece. However, it can capture pieces by landing directly on top of them. The elephants are often used in conjunction to protect each other, one in front of the palace, the other to the side, and to protect the general. The elephant is worth two points. The elephant is also where Xiangqi gets its name. Xiang is elephant in Chinese, and qi means game. Hence, Xiangqi. We hope you found this video helpful. You can learn more on Xiangqi.com's help section, and of course, you can always learn by playing games on Xiangqi.com with our Xiangqi engine or with other players on the site. Hope to see you there soon!