The xiangqi board looks like graph paper, but the pieces don't go inside the squares: they stand on the points where the lines cross. There are nine vertical lines and ten horizontal lines, 90 points in all. Across the middle is a "river" with no vertical lines, and on each side there is a small box with an X drawn in it, called the "palace". Once you know these, you can follow any game record or checkmate diagram.
Nine files, ten ranks: pieces stand on points
Hold the board upright with Red at the bottom and Black at the top. The nine vertical lines are called files, and the ten horizontal lines are called ranks. Each side starts on the five ranks of its own half and only enters the other half by crossing the river.
Beginners often put pieces in the middle of the squares, or count moves by squares. Remember one rule and you won't go wrong: one step means moving from one intersection to the next one along a line.
File numbers: each side counts from its own right
File numbers are used for writing moves down. The confusing part: Red and Black each count from their own right-hand side. Red sits at the bottom, so Red's right is the right side of the picture: Red's file 1 is on the far right and file 9 on the far left. Black sits across the table, so Black's right is the left side of the picture, and Black's file 1 is on the far left.
In Chinese records Red's files are written with Chinese numerals (一 to 九) and Black's with digits (1 to 9). In the English (WXF) notation used on this site both sides use digits. The bottom edge of the diagram shows Red's files, the top edge shows Black's.
So the middle file is file 5 for both sides. For every other file the two numbers add up to 10: Red's file 2 is Black's file 8.
The river
Between the fifth and sixth ranks there are no vertical lines: that gap is the river. Many boards write four characters in it, 楚河 漢界 (Chǔ hé Hàn jiè, "Chu River, Han Border"). One story says it borrows the tale of the armies of Chu and Han facing each other across the Hong Canal at the end of the Qin dynasty, but writing those words on the board only became popular quite recently.
Two things to remember about the river:
- The elephant cannot cross it: it stays in its own half.
- The soldier may move sideways only after crossing it: before that, it can only go straight ahead.
The other pieces (chariot, horse, cannon) ignore the river and move the same on both sides.
The palace: home of the general and advisors
At the top and the bottom of the board is a three-by-three box with two diagonal lines, called the palace (九宮, "nine points"; it has exactly nine points). The general and the advisors can only move inside the palace, never a single step outside it.
The diagonals in the palace are not decoration: the advisor moves along them, so it can only ever stand on the four corners and the centre, five points in all.
Terms you will hear
Commentators and experienced players often name positions on the board. Each is counted from that player's own side:
| Name | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Back rank (底線) | The rank furthest back on your side | The chariots, horses, elephants, advisors and general start here |
| Palace top (宮頂線) | The front rank of the palace | The general can go no further forward than this |
| Cannon points (炮位) | The two starting points of the cannons on the third rank | Cannon and soldier starting points are marked with small corner "flowers" |
| Pawn line (兵林線) | The rank where the soldiers start | Also where chariots often stop before going to the river |
| River line (騎河線) | The rank right next to the river | A chariot or cannon here "patrols the river" and covers both flanks |
| Ribs (兩肋) | The files on each side of the palace (files 4 and 6) | A chariot on a rib file threatens the enemy palace directly |
| Centre file (中路) | The middle file, file 5 | The central cannon and central soldier stand here; the focus of attack and defence |
You don't need to memorise these. Come back and look them up when they appear in the checkmate and opening articles.
The starting setup
Each side has sixteen pieces, set up symmetrically:
- Back rank, from the outside in: chariot, horse, elephant, advisor, with the general in the middle.
- Third rank: the two cannons, directly in front of the horses with one rank in between.
- Fourth rank (the pawn line): five soldiers, on every other point.
Once the pieces are set, Red moves first and the players take turns. To learn how each piece moves, see the seven xiangqi pieces; to learn how you win, see the xiangqi rules.
FAQ
How many points are on a xiangqi board?
90: nine vertical lines times ten horizontal lines. Pieces stand on these intersections, not inside the squares.
Are there special rules for the river?
The river itself doesn't block any piece. Only two rules involve it: the elephant cannot cross it, and the soldier can move sideways only after crossing it.
Why do Red and Black count files in opposite directions?
Because each player counts from their own right-hand side. Two people sitting face to face have their right hands pointing in opposite directions, so on the diagram the numbers run the opposite way.
What is the palace?
The two three-by-three boxes with diagonals at the top and bottom of the board. The general and the advisors can only move inside them.
Try it yourself
Once you know the board, the fastest way to learn is to play. Play xiangqi online against the computer; when you select a piece, the board marks every point it can reach. To learn about the game from the beginning, go back to the Chinese chess home page; to learn to read game records, continue with how to read xiangqi notation.
