Checkmate or stalemate the opponent's General (King). Unlike international chess, stalemate is a loss for the stalemated player.
Overzicht
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.
Opzet
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.
Hoe te spelen
- The General moves one point orthogonally within the palace (9 points).
- Advisors move one point diagonally within the palace.
- Elephants move exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and are blocked if the intermediate point is occupied.
- Horses move one point orthogonally then one point diagonally (like a chess knight but can be blocked).
- Chariots move any number of points orthogonally (like a chess rook).
- Cannons move like Chariots but capture by jumping over exactly one piece (the 'cannon platform').
- Soldiers move and capture one point forward. After crossing the river, they can also move sideways.
- The two Generals can never face each other directly on the same file with no pieces between ('flying general' rule).
- No stalemate draw - if you cannot move, you lose.
Het spel winnen
Checkmate or stalemate the opponent's General: a player who has no legal move loses. Players can also agree to a draw.
Strategietips
Geschiedenis
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.