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Ponderchess / Chess variants

Xiangqi

Chinese chess, played on the points of a 9×10 grid, with a river across the middle, generals confined to a palace, and cannons that jump to capture.
Created
Modern form by the Song dynasty (960–1279)
Creator
Unknown
Where
China
Board
9×10 points
What changes
A river, a palace and cannons
Also called
Chinese chess

Where it came from

Well documented

Xiangqi is one of the most widely played board games in the world. Its early history is debated, but the game in its modern form is well established by the Song dynasty.

It shares chess’s ancestry, with a king, chariots, horses and foot soldiers, but adapted the army in its own way. The cannon, which captures by jumping over exactly one piece, has no equivalent in Western chess.

Why it was made: A local branch of the chess family that developed its own geometry and pieces.

How it differs from chess

  • Points, not squaresPieces stand on the intersections of the lines. A “river” divides the board, and each general sits in a 3×3 palace marked with diagonal lines.
  • Confined piecesThe general and its two advisers may not leave the palace. Elephants may not cross the river.
  • The cannonA cannon moves like a rook, but it can only capture by jumping over exactly one piece, of either colour.
  • Facing generalsThe two generals may never face each other on an open file. Stalemate is a loss for the side that cannot move.

Questions

Is xiangqi harder than chess?
Neither is harder; they reward different skills. Xiangqi games tend to be more open and tactical early, because the cannons and chariots come into play quickly.
Why is there a river on the board?
It divides the two camps. Elephants cannot cross it, and soldiers gain a sideways move once they have crossed.

Sources