Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Play
• Part 2 of 2: Rules of the Game
• Tips

Chinese chess is similar to regular chess, but has several important differences, including other pieces and how they move. However, the goal in the game is the same as in regular chess: to capture the enemy general (king). In Chinese chess, you can also win by checkmating or creating a stalemate for your opponent. You can learn how to play Chinese chess by familiarizing yourself with the board, the pieces and how they move around the board.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Play

1. 1 Explore the Chinese chess board. The board consists of 64 cells, just like in regular chess. However, in Chinese chess, there is a river that divides the board in the middle between two players. There are also diagonal lines in certain places on the board that mark boundaries that some pieces cannot go beyond.
   • No moves can be made in the river. The pieces must cross it to re-enter the game.
   • On both sides of the board there is an imperial palace, which is not allowed to leave the general and his guards.
2. 2 Check out the lines on the board. In Chinese chess, the pieces are located at the intersections of lines (called points), rather than on squares as in regular chess. The board consists of 9 points horizontally and 10 vertically. In Chinese chess, as in the game of go, the pieces move along the intersections of lines.
3. 3 Check out the shapes. The pieces in Chinese chess are similar to the pieces in ordinary chess. Each player has one general (king), 2 guards, 2 bishops, 2 chariots (rooks), 2 knights, 2 cannons and 5 soldiers (pawns). The figures are flat discs with red or black signs in the form of Chinese characters that correspond to the name of the figure.
4. 4 Arrange the pieces on the board. Each piece has its own place on the board, just like in ordinary chess.Before starting the game, you should place the pieces in their proper places. Remember that the shapes are located at the intersections of lines, not in cells.
   • On the horizontal line closest to you, place your figures in the following order (from left to right): chariot, horse, elephant, guard, general, guard, elephant, horse, chariot.
   • On the third line, place two cannons at the intersections, the second from the left and right edges.
   • On the fourth horizontal line, place a soldier at every second intersection, starting from the most extreme.

Part 2 of 2: Rules of the Game

1. 1 Understand the purpose of the game. As in regular chess, the goal of the players is to capture the general (king) of the enemy. It is necessary to checkmate the opponent's general using your pieces. During the game, you should beat as many of the opponent's pieces as possible in order to facilitate the subsequent announcement of checkmate to his general.
2. 2 Examine how the pieces move. In Chinese chess, each piece moves in its own way. To play, you need to know how the different pieces move. They move as follows:
   • The general moves 1 intersection backward or forward, right or left, but cannot move diagonally. He also must not leave the boundaries of the imperial palace. The general can beat any enemy piece that has entered the imperial palace, unless this piece is protected by another. Generals of the opponents cannot be on the same line so that at least one piece does not stand between them.
   • The chariot, or boat, can move any distance along a straight horizontal or vertical line.
   • The knight corresponds to a regular chess piece. It can move one point in any direction and then one point diagonally (or 2 points in one direction and 1 in the perpendicular to it). However, the knight cannot jump over the pieces (for example, if the piece in front of the knight blocks its path 2 points forward).
   • The movement rules for the cannon are the same as for the chariot (boat), with one exception. To beat, the cannon must jump over only one piece, and it can be of any color.
   • Guards can move one point diagonally in any direction, but cannot leave the Imperial Palace.
   • The bishop moves 2 points diagonally. However, the bishop cannot cross the river marked on the board. The bishop cannot jump over pieces. If there is a piece that the bishop must jump over to get to the point of the move, then he cannot make such a move.
   • Soldiers can only move and hit one point in front of them (not diagonally) until they cross the river. After crossing it, soldiers can walk one point forward, right or left, but not back.
3. 3 Practice playing Chinese chess and learn the names of all the moves. The player with the red pieces makes the first move, after which Black moves, and the opponents continue to move in turns until the end of the game. In one move, the player moves one piece. Before starting the game, check again if you remember correctly how the pieces move.
   • To "beat" means to occupy the point at which the opponent's piece stood. This is the same move as in regular chess.
   • You declare "check" to the enemy general if you can beat this piece with your next move. On the next move, your opponent must defend his general.
4. 4 You can win the game by putting checkmate or stalemate on the enemy general. During the game, the players beat each other's pieces until either of them checkmate the opponent's general. The player also wins by stating the opponent.
   • "Checkmate" is declared if the opponent has no moves with which he could protect his general from the check. You can also win by announcing a "stalemate" to your opponent, in which he is not able to resemble any of his pieces.
   • The game is considered a draw if none of the players can declare checkmate or stalemate.

Tips

• As in regular chess, keep an eye on the moves your opponent makes, especially if you are new to the game: it is much easier to checkmate here, since cannons can hit through one piece, generals cannot meet, and so on.