Chinese-Chess

CHINESECHESSEditoredbySichengWanCHINESECHESSEditoredbySichengWanABriefIntroduction•Chinesechess,orxiangqi,isperhapsthemostpopularboardgameintheworld.•PlayedbymillionsofpeopleinChina,VietnamandotherpartsofAsia,andwhereverChinesehavesettled.•ShapedinTangDynasty,popularedfromSongDynasty.•Thegamerepresentsabattlebetweentwoarmies•Object:capturingtheenemy'sgeneral.•Thenamexiangqumeanselephantgame,areferencetothebishops:–象xiangmeanselephant,andisastylizedsketchofanelephant;–棋qimeansboardgame.BasicRules•Alternateturns,firstred,thenblack.•Singlepiece,singlemove.•Endsmoveonenemy-occupiedpoint,getcaptured.•Object:tocapturetheenemygeneral.•illegaltomakeanymovethatexposesyourgeneraltoimmediatecapture.•Illegaltoavoiddefeatorattempttoforceadrawbyrepeatingthesameseriesofmovesoverandover.Board•Theplayngfieldisagridofninefilesandtenranks.•Thepiecesareplayedonthelines,notonthesquareslikeInternationalChess.ThePiecesdiscsofwood,plastic,someothermaterialeachidentifiedbyaChineseideograminteamcolours,typicallyblackandred.Pieces•1.General•Onepointinanynon-diagonaldirection.•Cannotmoveoutsidethecastle.Inaddition,thegeneralhasthetheoreticalpowerofstrikingalonganopenfiletocapturetheopposinggeneral.Thereforeitisillegaltomakeanymovethatleavesyourowngeneralonanopenfileoppsitetheoppsinggeneral,becausetodosowouldbetomoveintocheck.Pieces•2.Mandarin•Onepointinanydiagonaldirection.Cannotmoveoutsidethecastle.Pieces•Elephant•Twopointsinanydiagonaldirection.Itmustmovetwopoints,andcannotleapanotherpieceofeithercolour.•CannotcrosstheriverPieces•Horse•Onepointinanynon-diagonaldirection,follwedbyonepointinadiagonaldirection—itendstwopointsawayfromwhereitstarted.Pieces•Chariot•Anynumberofpointsinanynon-diagonaldirection.•CannotleapPieces•Cannon•Notcapturing,moveslikethechariot.•Capturing,mustleapasinglepieceofeithercolourbeforeproceedingtothepointoccupiedbythetargetpiece.Pieces•Soldier•Onepointstraightforward.•Afterreachingtheoppositeriverbank,canmoveonepointforwardordirectlysideways.•Withagoodteamworkandprotection,itcanactasacrucialrole!UseofPiecesPiecesPointsSoldierbeforecrossingtheriver1Soldieraftercrossingtheriver2-3Advisor2Elephant2Horse4.5Cannon5Chariot9•HereisapproximaterelativevalueofthepiecesUseofPieces•Achariotfadesmanypieces.一车十子寒•Ahorsehaveanawe-inspirationreputationextendingineverydirection.马有八面威风•Asinglecannonishardtocapturepiece.孤炮难鸣•Across-riversoldiercanactaspowerfulasachariot.卒子过河赛如车•Usually,acannonismorepowerfulthanahorseinopenningandmidgame,whilethesituationreverseinlategame.•Leavethegeneralatitsstartingposition,deployoneadvisorandoneelephantsothattheycansupporteachother.However,inordertoitspowermoreeffectively,piecesoftenoccupietheirparticularorspecialposition.•Herearesomeexample:•1.filedchariot直车，rankedchariot横车，crossriverchariot巡河车，kingsidechariot贴身车，e-eyechariot肋车•2.centralcannon中炮，palcornercannon士角炮，patrollingcannon巡河炮•3.screenhorses屏风马，edgehorse边马，卧槽马elbowhorse，钓鱼马anglerhorse•巡河车、直车、横车：•肋车•屏风马•卧槽马•士角炮：•Agoodopeningisvitaltothewinofagame.•Someregularformation•Mostcommonopenningistomovethecannontothecentralcolumn,as当头炮.Asareply,toadvanceahorseinthesameflank,as马来跳.•Anotherpopularopenningistodeployoneelephantfirsttobuildafirmdefense,called飞相局.Howcanchessbringtous•Happinessandfriendship•Forstrengtheningabilityofthinking.•Cultivatemindandbehavior,buildingagoodtaste.•Discoversomelifephilosophy:abidearule,attendyourownduty,payattentiontotheinterestsofthewholeevensacrificingoneself.