What is Xiangqi?
{{more sources|date=October 2024}} [[File:Xiangqi Board.svg|250px|thumb|Xiangqi board with pieces in their starting positions]] '''Xiangqi''' is a [[board game]] from [[China]]. In English, it is also known as '''Chinese chess'''. Though derived from the original Indian [[Chaturanga]], Chinese chess is quite different from modern international chess. The board is different, there are different pieces, and they have different moves. The ''general'' and his ''mandarin'' may not leave the nine-pointed fortress; they have only limited movement. Clearly, this is more similar to the old Indo-Arabic game than to modern chess. Xiangqi is a chess game for two people to play. Each player's ''palaces'' are located at the back row of their side with an [[X]] shaped. Each player has 16 pieces to move on the board. One player's set is [[red]], and the other is [[black]]. The way to win is to checkmate or stalemate the other player's King. Each kind of piece has different ways to move. Xiangqi is one of the most [[wikt:popular|popular]] chess games in [[China]].<ref>Pritchard, David Brine 1994. ''The Encyclopedia of chess variants''. {{ISBN|0-9524142-0-1}}</ref><ref>Hooper, David & Whyld, Kenneth 1992. ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' 2nd ed, Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-866164-9}}</ref><sup>p78</sup> ==Pieces== *General ([[King (chess)|King]]) *Advisor ([[Bodyguard|Guard]]) *[[Elephant]] ([[Bishop (chess)|Bishop]]) *[[Horse]] ([[Knight (chess)|Knight]]) *Chariot ([[Rook (chess)|Rook]]) *[[Cannon]] *[[Soldier]] ([[Pawn (chess)|Pawn]]) ==Movement== *General: Moves one point orthogonally (it means forwards, backwards, left or right) and it only stays inside the [[palace]]. *Advisor: Moves one point diagonally and it only stays inside the palace. *Elephant: Moves two points diagonally and it cannot jump over a piece or cross the [[river]]. *Horse: Moves like the knight in chess, but it cannot jump over a piece. It is known as blocking the horse leg. *Chariot: Moves like the rook in chess and it cannot jump over a piec