🎮 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: 象棋和西洋棋有什麼區別？
A: 象棋有9×10棋盤加楚河漢界和九宮。炮隔子吃子，馬可被蹩腿，象不能過河，困斃算輸（不是和棋）。
Q: 什麼是將帥對面規則？
A: 兩個將帥不能在同一豎線上中間沒有棋子時直接對面。這個規則經常被用於戰術上製造閃擊。
Q: AI難度有何不同？
A: Easy只進行基本防守。Medium是普通玩家水平，使用基本攻防策略。Hard使用高階策略和模式識別，需要相當實力才能獲勝。
Q: 如何進行線上對戰？
A: 點選"Quick Match"自動匹配相近水平的對手。也可以用"Create Room"建立房間邀請朋友，或從房間列表加入房間。
Q: Elo分數是什麼？
A: Elo是God Game Platform的等級分。獲勝上升，失敗下降。變化幅度取決於與對手的實力差距，Elo越高表示實力越強。