象棋

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.

Checkmate or stalemate the opponent's General. Perpetual check or chasing is forbidden and results in a loss for the aggressor. Draws can occur by repetition or agreement.

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.

Control the center files - especially the important center file where Generals reside. Develop your Horses and Cannons early for attacking potential. The Cannon is most powerful early when there are many potential 'platforms'; use them aggressively.

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.