Board games
Xiangqi
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 30
- years
- 8+
In the box
1 board of 9 × 10 points · 32 pieces: 16 red and 16 black
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Grid MovementPattern MovementSquare GridCaptureSudden Death Ending
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Checkmate the opposing general so that it cannot escape. Red moves first, then each player moves one piece per turn, on the intersections: the general and its advisors stay in their palace, the elephant never crosses the river and the cannon only captures by jumping over one piece. You win by checkmate, or when your opponent has no legal move left, since stalemate loses.
The rules, step by step
Setup
16 pieces per side, 9 lines by 10, River and palace
- Two players, sixteen pieces each, placed on the intersections rather than in the squares.
- The board has nine lines by ten, cut across the middle by the river.
- Each side has a palace of three intersections by three, which the general and its two advisors never leave.
- Starting line-up: general in the centre, advisors on either side, then elephants, horses and chariots; the cannons on the third line, the five soldiers on the fourth.
How to play
Red moves first, 1 piece per turn
- Red moves first. Move one piece per turn.
- The chariot moves in straight lines, like a rook. The horse takes one step then one diagonal step, but is blocked by a piece on its first step.
- The elephant moves two points diagonally and never crosses the river; it is blocked if the intermediate point is occupied.
- The cannon moves like a chariot, but only captures by jumping over exactly one piece, of either side.
- The soldier moves one step forwards; once across the river, it may also move sideways, never backwards.
- The two generals may never face each other on an open file: it is an illegal move, and also a weapon.
Scoring
No points, Games won
- No points: count the games won.
- Enter 1 for the winner, 0 for the other.
End of the game
Checkmate, Stalemate loses
- Checkmate, or a player with no legal move — stalemate loses here, unlike in Western chess.
- Perpetual check or perpetual chase: the player who repeats must change, or lose.
House rules and pitfalls
The cannon changes the whole middlegame: it threatens across the board…
- The cannon changes the whole middlegame: it threatens across the board, but only if it has exactly one piece to jump. Removing that piece cancels the threat.
- Since elephants never cross the river, each side keeps a defence that cannot attack.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What are the river and the palace?
The river crosses the middle of the board: some pieces do not cross it. The palace is the 3×3 square where the general and its advisors stay confined.
How do you win?
By checkmating the opposing general, as in chess. A rule of its own: the two generals may never face each other on an open file (the "flying general").
How do the pieces move?
The chariot like the rook, the horse like the knight (but it can be blocked), and the cannon moves like the rook but captures by jumping over a piece. The soldier moves forwards, and sideways once it has crossed the river.
Where are the pieces placed?
On the intersections of the lines, not in the squares. The board has nine files and ten ranks.
Why does the cannon change everything?
It only captures by jumping a screen piece: this creates long-range threats impossible in chess, and makes open lines dangerous.