Xiangqi is played on a 9x10 board divided by a river. Red moves first. Each piece has unique movement rules: the General (G) stays in its palace; Advisors (A) move diagonally within the palace; Elephants (E) leap two squares diagonally but cannot cross the river; Horses (H) move one orthogonal then one diagonal and can be blocked; Chariots (R) slide any distance orthogonally; Cannons (C) move like Chariots but capture only by jumping over exactly one piece; Soldiers (S) advance one step, and after crossing the river can also move sideways. The two Generals can never face each other on an open file. The player who leaves their opponent with no legal moves wins. Stalemate is a loss, not a draw.

Xiangqi — Chinese Chess — has an estimated 200 million active players worldwide. The Cannon's unique capture mechanic (jumping over exactly one piece) and the river boundary create strategic patterns unlike anything in Western chess.

Tips

• Cannons are deadly in the opening — use them to attack before defenses form.
• Chariots (Rooks) are the most powerful pieces — activate them early.
• Protect your Elephants and Advisors — they're your General's only bodyguards.

Setup and pieces

Pieces sit on the intersections of a 9×10 grid (not the squares). The board is divided by a river between rows 5 and 6. Each side has a palace — a 3×3 region with diagonals — that confines the General and Advisors. Pieces include the General (king), Advisors, Elephants, Horses, Chariots (rooks), Cannons, and Soldiers (pawns). The Cannon moves like a Chariot but captures by jumping exactly one piece.

History

Xiangqi, often translated as Chinese Chess, has been played in some form for at least 1,400 years. It shares a common ancestor with Western chess in the Indian game chaturanga but evolved separately in China, gaining the cannon piece around the 8th century during the Tang dynasty and the river dividing the board sometime later. It remains one of the most-played strategy games in the world, with a deep professional scene in China and Vietnam.

Xiangqi opening theory centers on the cannon placement. The most common opening is the Central Cannon (cannon to the center file), aimed directly at the opponent's central soldier and General. Replies include the Screen Horses defense (two horses guarding the General) and various symmetric and asymmetric counter-cannons.

In the middlegame, Cannons are most powerful with screens; without a piece to jump over, they're just slow chariots. Horses are blocked by adjacent pieces (the leg-block rule), so creating squeeze positions immobilizes opposing knights. Elephants cannot cross the river, so elephants are purely defensive; this asymmetry shapes attacks across the river.

In the endgame, the General becomes a fighting piece within the palace. Two Chariots beat almost anything; one Chariot plus a Cannon checkmates against a bare General. Pawns that cross the river gain side-to-side movement and become major threats — pushing connected pawns is often decisive.

How does the Cannon move?

Like a Chariot (any number of squares in a straight line) when not capturing. To capture, it must jump over exactly one intervening piece — friendly or enemy — and land on an enemy piece.

Why can't the Elephant cross the river?

Traditional rule. Elephants are defensive pieces tied to their own half of the board. The Soldier gains side-to-side movement after crossing as a balancing rule.

What is the flying general rule?

The two Generals cannot face each other on an open file with no pieces between them. If a move would create that situation, the move is illegal.

How is checkmate different from chess?

Same idea — the General is in check and has no legal escape. Stalemate is also a loss for the stalemated side, unlike chess where stalemate is a draw.

Are perpetual checks legal?

No. Perpetual check or perpetual chase is forbidden — the side causing the repetition must vary their move or forfeit.

How does it compare to Western chess?

Roughly the same depth and theory level. Different piece set, different board, different opening repertoire. Players who know one can learn the other quickly but the strategic patterns are distinct.

Chess — The Western branch of the same family — same king, different cannon-free middlegame.

Checkers — A simpler diagonal-movement game on an 8×8 board.

Othello — Capture by enclosure on a smaller board.

Conquest of Resources — A modern multiplayer strategy game with trading and dice.