Elephant Opening
飞相局 · fēi xiàng jú
Not every good first move is a threat. The Elephant Opening steps an elephant into the centre, strengthening the point in front of the General before anything is aimed at it, and hands Black the first real decision of the game. It is the choice of players who would rather win a long correct game than a short sharp one, and it takes most of an opponent's preparation off the board immediately.
The moves
1 move from the starting position. Step through them on the board.
- Red. The elephant steps to the central point, covering the square in front of the General and quietly reinforcing the middle.
The idea in one sentence
Build a position that cannot be knocked over, then let your opponent tell you which plan they picked and answer it.
Xiangqi punishes a loose centre faster than most games, because a cannon on an open file can arrive from the far side of the board in a single move. An elephant on the centre point makes those arrivals far less frightening.
What you give up, honestly
Initiative, for a while. You are not attacking on move one, and a well prepared opponent will often take the middle file with their own cannon. That is a real concession. The compensation is real too: a sound structure, no forced lines to memorise, and an opponent who has to create something out of nothing against a position with no weaknesses.
Typical plans
- Develop both horses to natural squares and keep the chariots ready. Nothing fancy, nothing committal.
- Let Black overextend on a flank, then open the file their advanced pieces left behind.
- Watch for the moment Black's central cannon runs out of useful screens. A cannon with nothing to jump is a weak piece, and this opening is very good at creating that moment.
Who should play it
Anybody who keeps losing games inside fifteen moves. Play the Elephant Opening for a month and you will stop being blown off the board, which is the quickest way to find out whether the rest of your game is any good.
Try it on a real board
Reading an opening and playing one are different skills. Set this line up against the computer, get it wrong a few times cheaply, then take it into a rated game.
Common questions
- Is the Elephant Opening good for beginners?
- It is excellent for beginners who keep getting attacked early. It asks you to develop sensibly rather than to know theory, and the positions stay playable even when you are unsure what to do.
- What does 飞相局 mean?
- The flying elephant game. 相 is Red's elephant, and 飞 describes the diagonal step it takes to the centre.
- How does Black answer the Elephant Opening?
- Most often by taking the centre with a cannon, since Red declined it. Screen Horses is the other common answer and leads to a slow manoeuvring game.
Read next
- Elephant Opening vs Central Cannon飞相对中炮Red declines the centre, Black takes it. What happens when the quietest first move meets the loudest reply, and how Red gets counterplay from a solid structure.
- Elephant Opening vs Screen Horses飞相对屏风马Two solid setups facing each other. The slow, strategic xiangqi game where nobody blunders early and the win comes from the better plan.
- Horse Opening起马局Develop first, commit later. The Horse Opening keeps every central plan available and transposes into half the opening book, which is exactly why strong players use it.
- Central Cannon中炮Red's cannon swings to the middle file and points straight at the enemy General. The plan behind the Central Cannon, the replies you will face, and the trap that ruins most attacks.
Every named line is listed on the xiangqi openings index. New to the game? Start with the rules of Chinese chess, or learn the Chinese characters on the pieces.