Xiangqi glossary

The empty band across the middle of a xiangqi board that separates the two armies and changes what your pieces can do once they cross it.

The three by three square marked with a cross at each end of the board, which the General and the two Advisors may never leave.

The piece you must protect and the piece your opponent must trap, confined to the nine points of its own palace.

A short range defender that moves one point diagonally and never leaves the palace, protecting the General from cannons and chariots.

A defensive piece that moves exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and can be blocked by a piece sitting in the middle of its path.

A knight that moves one point straight then one diagonally, and which unlike a western knight can be blocked by a piece standing in its way.

The strongest piece in xiangqi, moving any distance along a rank or file exactly like a rook, and the piece that decides most games.

A piece that moves like a chariot but can only capture by jumping exactly one piece, called the screen, on its way to the target.

The pawn of xiangqi: one step forward at a time, never backward, and able to move sideways as well once it has crossed the river.

The rule that the two Generals may never face each other down an open file with no piece in between, which makes an empty middle file a weapon.

Blocking the orthogonal first step of a Horse's move, which makes that move illegal because a xiangqi Horse cannot jump.

The midpoint of an Elephant's two step diagonal move; a piece standing there makes the move illegal.

The single piece a Cannon jumps over in order to capture, which may belong to either player.

A direct attack on the enemy General, which the defender must answer immediately.

A check the defender cannot answer, which ends the game immediately in the attacker's favour.

Checking the same position over and over to force a repetition, which is not allowed: the player giving perpetual check must vary or lose.

Endlessly attacking the same undefended piece to force a repetition, which the rules also forbid.

The same position occurring again and again, which is judged by who is forcing it rather than counted to an automatic draw.

A game that ends level, usually by agreement, by a position neither side can make progress in, or by the move limit.

Moving a piece into the opponent's half of the board, where soldiers gain sideways movement and chariots become attackers.

Having the move that forces the opponent to react; in xiangqi it also names Red's advantage of moving first.

A single move considered as a unit of time; gaining a tempo means achieving something while forcing the opponent to answer.

Holding a piece in place because moving it would expose something worse behind it, often the General.

Moving one piece so that another, standing behind it, is suddenly attacking something.

One move that threatens two things at once, so that the opponent can only save one of them.

Giving up material on purpose to open a line, remove a defender or reach a mating pattern.

Trading pieces, which in xiangqi is the defender's main tool for killing an attack.

A cannon dropped onto the opponent's back rank, where it attacks the palace from behind and works with a chariot or horse.

A chariot placed on the rank just in front of the river, where it defends its own soldiers and watches the crossing points.

The defensive setup where both horses stand in front of the General protecting each other, like a folding screen.

A cannon on the middle file with nothing between it and the enemy General, which paralyses the defence and usually wins.

Two cannons on the same file, one behind the other, where the front cannon is the screen for the back one and checkmate follows.

A mating pattern where a horse covers the General's escape squares and a cannon checks along the line with the horse itself as the screen.

A horse planted next to the enemy palace where it checks the General and supports a mating attack from a chariot or cannon.

A horse delivering check from a corner point of the palace, typically with a chariot or cannon completing the net.

A mate where a cannon on the middle file freezes the palace and a chariot delivers the blow the defender cannot answer.

A mate where the General is checked and every escape point is blocked by its own defenders.

The staircase mate where two chariots take alternate ranks and files, driving the General until it has nowhere left to stand.

The first phase of the game, where both sides develop pieces, choose a structure and fight for the open files.

The phase after development, where plans, attacks and piece exchanges decide the character of the game.

The final phase, with few pieces left, where exact technique and known positions decide the result.