🎮 What is Xiangqi?
Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) is one of the most popular strategy board games in
the world, with over a billion players. Two players take turns moving pieces on a 9x10 board divided by a river,
aiming to checkmate the opponent's General (King). With unique rules like the river boundary and palace
restrictions, Xiangqi offers deep strategic gameplay that has been enjoyed for centuries.
📋 Basic Rules
- Game Setup: Played on a
9x10 intersection board with a river dividing the two sides. Red moves first. Each side has 16 pieces:
1 General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Horses, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons, and 5 Soldiers.
- Starting the Game: Red
moves first, and players alternate turns. Click a piece to select it, then click a valid destination to
move.
- Victory Condition: Win by
checkmating the opponent's General or achieving stalemate (opponent has no legal moves). Victory is also
achieved if the opponent resigns or runs out of time.
- Palace: Each side has a
3x3 Palace area. The General and Advisors can only move within the Palace. The two Generals may never
face each other on the same file with no pieces between them (the flying general rule).
- River: The river divides
the board in half. Elephants cannot cross the river. Soldiers gain the ability to move sideways after
crossing the river.
♟️ Piece Guide
- General (King) 帥/將: The
most important piece. Moves one step orthogonally within the Palace. Must not face the opposing General
on an open file.
- Advisor (Guard) 仕/士: Moves one step diagonally within the Palace. Protects the
General.
- Elephant (Bishop) 相/象: Moves exactly two steps diagonally. Cannot cross the river and can be
blocked if a piece occupies the intermediate intersection.
- Horse (Knight) 馬: Moves
one step orthogonally then one step diagonally outward. Can be blocked by a piece adjacent to it on the
orthogonal step (hobbling the horse's leg).
- Chariot (Rook) 車: The
most powerful piece. Moves any number of squares orthogonally (horizontally or vertically). Cannot jump over
other pieces.
- Cannon 炮/砲: Moves
like the Chariot when not capturing. To capture, it must jump over exactly one piece (the screen) to land on
an enemy piece.
- Soldier (Pawn) 兵/卒: Moves one step forward before crossing the river. After crossing, can
also move one step sideways. Can never move backward.
💡 Key Strategies
- Control the Center: Dominating the central file gives your Chariots and Cannons maximum
range and limits your opponent's options.
- Chariot Tactics: The Chariot is the strongest piece. Activate it early on open files.
A pair of connected Chariots can be devastating.
- Cannon Tactics: Cannons are powerful in the opening when many pieces serve as screens.
Their value decreases in the endgame as pieces are traded.
- Protect the General: Keep Advisors and Elephants near your General to form a solid
defense. Watch for the flying general rule.
- Soldier Promotion: Advance Soldiers across the river to gain sideways movement. Crossed
Soldiers are surprisingly powerful in the endgame.
🏆 Tips for Beginners
- Develop your Chariots early. An active Chariot controls the game.
- Use Cannons effectively in the opening while there are many pieces to jump over.
- Horses can be blocked - always check the adjacent square before moving.
- Elephants cannot cross the river - use them for defense on your own side.
- Remember the flying general rule - never leave your General exposed on an open file.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Quelle est la difference entre Xiangqi et les Echecs?
R: Xiangqi utilise un plateau 9x10 avec Riviere et Palais. Les Canons capturent en sautant, les Chevaux peuvent etre bloques, les Elephants ne traversent pas la Riviere, et le pat est une defaite (pas un nul).
Q: Qu'est-ce que la regle du General Volant?
R: Les deux Generaux ne peuvent pas se faire face sur la meme colonne sans piece entre eux. Cette regle est souvent utilisee tactiquement pour creer des attaques a la decouverte.
Q: Comment les niveaux de difficulte IA different-ils?
R: Facile joue une defense basique. Moyen utilise des strategies standard d'attaque et defense. Difficile emploie des tactiques avancees et la reconnaissance de patterns, necessitant des competences significatives.
Q: Comment jouer des parties en ligne?
R: Cliquez sur "Quick Match" pour trouver des adversaires de niveau similaire. Utilisez "Create Room" pour des parties privees ou rejoignez des salles existantes.
Q: Qu'est-ce que le score fo?
R: fo est le score de classement de God Game Platform. Il augmente avec les victoires et diminue avec les defaites. Le changement depend de la difference de competence. Un fo plus eleve indique une plus grande competence.