Chinese Chess

Goal

Xiangqi (Chinese chess) is played by Red and Black, each with 16 pieces. Players move in turn and Red always moves first. You win by checkmating the enemy general — putting it in check with no way to escape. As in the real rules, a side that has no legal move (stalemate) also loses.

Play against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard (as Red moving first, or as Black), or play 2 players on one device, taking turns.

How the pieces move

• General (帥/將): one step orthogonally, never leaving the palace (the 3×3 box with diagonals). The two generals may never face each other on the same file with nothing in between.
• Advisor (仕/士): one step diagonally, inside the palace.
• Elephant (相/象): exactly two steps diagonally and cannot cross the river. It is blocked if the point in between is occupied.
• Rook / Chariot (俥/車): any distance in a straight line, like a chess rook.
• Horse (傌/馬): one step straight then one diagonal. It is blocked if the point right next to it in the direction of travel is occupied.
• Cannon (炮/砲): moves like a rook, but to capture it must jump over exactly one piece.
• Soldier (兵/卒): one step forward; after crossing the river it may also step sideways. It never moves backward.

You may not make a move that leaves your own general in check. When you give check, the game shows “Check!”.

Draws

• The same position occurring 3 times is a draw. (This is a simplification: tournament rules punish perpetual check and chasing; here it is simply a draw.)
• 60 moves by each side without any capture, or no rooks, horses, cannons or soldiers left on either side, is also a draw.
• Offer draw: the computer accepts if it thinks its position is not better; in 2-player mode the other player decides.

Controls

• Phone: tap one of your pieces — green dots show where it can go (a green ring marks a piece you can capture). Tap the destination to move. Tap another piece to change your choice.
• Computer: click the same way, or use the keyboard: arrow keys move the cursor, Enter or Space selects/moves, U undoes, F flips the board.
• Undo takes back the last move (against the computer it takes back your move and its reply). Flip board turns the board 180°. Names replaces the Chinese characters with English names.
• An unfinished game is saved automatically: next time, press Continue saved game.
• New game opens the menu to choose the mode, level and colour.

Move notation

The move list uses WXF-style notation: piece letter (K, A, E, H, R, C, P), the file it stands on (each side counts files 1–9 from its own right), then + forward, - backward or . sideways, and finally the destination file (sideways moves, horses, elephants, advisors) or the number of steps. Example: C2.5, H8+7.

Tips

• A classic opening: cannon to the centre (C2.5), then develop the horses to protect the middle soldier.
• Bring your rooks out early — they are your strongest pieces.
• Before each move, check what your opponent can capture, especially with cannons jumping over a screen and with horses.
• New to Xiangqi? Start on Easy and move up when you win regularly.