Chinese Chess (Xiang Qi):
How To Play Chinese Chess
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Capture
The Chariot (or Car, pronounced as
The Horse (pronounced as Ma) moves and captures the same way as the Knight in International Chess. However, there is one important restriction that differs itself from its cousin the Knight: The Horse cannot jump over another piece. The Knight's move is a combined move of one point in any direction horizontally or vertically, plus one diagonal move. However, if the first point of the horizontal or vertical move is blocked by a piece, then the Knight may not move in that direction.
The Cannon (pronounced as Pao) is a unique piece in reference to its technical prowess and is the most difficult to learn from the Western point of view. The Cannon is also called the Gun, Gunner, or Catapult. It moves exactly like the Chariot. It maneuvers any number of unobstructed points in a straight line, up and down (forward/backward) the columns and left and right (sideways) through the rows of the Chessboard. However, to capture, the Cannon must first jump over one (and only one) piece of any color. Chinese purists refer to this intermediary piece as the "Gun Mount." (It can also be described as a Screen.)
If you are used to playing International Chess, the Cannon may be somewhat perplexing at first. Remember that the Cannon is the only piece in Chinese Chess that captures in a way different from its non-capturing move. However, when the Cannon captures, it still moves to the point occupied by the captured piece. Remember also that it does not capture the piece it jumps over.
Note: For those who are fascinated by the movement of the Cannon, there are books on how to tactically convert the Cannon into a triple-threat maneuver, used as an offensive and defensive weapon in all phases of the game (from the opening phase through the middle game to the endgame). Some of the material covers the usage of the Cannon in a conventional and Chariot-less game environment.
During my journey of learning Xiang Qi, I went through some old books that annotated Cannons-based games that are close to about a thousand years old.
Note: A good strategist never ever uses just one or two pieces to win a game. He or she uses everything in the arsenal to become victorious.
"There is no such thing as a favorite piece that would win a game. The piece or a combination of pieces that wins the game is my favorite for that sole moment." Anonymous Player
