Xiangqi – opi pelaamaan: Säännöt

Xiangqi is the Chinese variant of chess, played by millions in China and worldwide. The game features unique elements including a river dividing the board, palace restrictions for certain pieces, and powerful cannons that capture by jumping.

Played on a 9x10 board with intersections. The board has a 'river' across the middle and two 'palaces' (3x3 areas). Each player has: 1 General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Horses, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons, and 5 Soldiers. Red moves first.

1. 01The General moves one point orthogonally within the palace (9 points).
2. 02Advisors move one point diagonally within the palace.
3. 03Elephants move exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and are blocked if the intermediate point is occupied.
4. 04Horses move one point orthogonally then one point diagonally (like a chess knight but can be blocked).
5. 05Chariots move any number of points orthogonally (like a chess rook).
6. 06Cannons move like Chariots but capture by jumping over exactly one piece (the 'cannon platform').
7. 07Soldiers move and capture one point forward. After crossing the river, they can also move sideways.
8. 08The two Generals can never face each other directly on the same file with no pieces between ('flying general' rule).
9. 09No stalemate draw - if you cannot move, you lose.

Checkmate or stalemate the opponent's General: a player who has no legal move loses. Players can also agree to a draw.

Xiangqi evolved from the same Indian ancestor as international chess around 1,000 years ago. It has been played in China for centuries and remains more popular there than Western chess.