*********************** rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ *********************** (Part 1 of 3) This posting is intended to address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the game of Chinese Chess; otherwise known as "Xiangqi" [the game's Chinese name] or "Elephant Game" or "Co tuong" [the game's Vietnamese name]. Posting Frequency: Monthly Last Update: August 16, 1998 Contents 1 What is Chinese Chess? 2 What does the board look like? 3 What are the pieces & how do they move? 4 What are the rules of the game? 5 What are the values of the pieces? 6 What kind of notation is used? 7 What are some common opening moves? 8 Are there any proverbs for this game? 9 Are there any basic guidelines for handicap play? 10 What about Chinese Chess Cards? 11 Are there any variants of Chinese Chess? 12 Can you recommend some books? 13 Where can I buy books? 14 Can you recommend some magazines? 15 Where can I buy sets? 16 Is there any software available? 17 Are there any Chinese Chess Home Pages on the Internet? 18 Can I play opponents by using my computer? 19 Are there any clubs where I can find opponents? 20 Is there a Chinese chess version of the US Chess Federation? 21 What are some of the top tournaments in the world? 22 Who are some of the strongest players around the world? 1 What is Chinese Chess? Chinese chess is a chess-like game which is especially popular in the Far East and Southeast Asia: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, etc. The strongest players and tournaments can be found in these countries. As would be expected, most of the materials published on Chinese chess are written in the languages of this region: most notably, Chinese and Vietnamese. As Asians continue to immigrate to Europe and North America, the level of Chinese chess skill on these continents can be expected to improve and more materials should become available in western languages, such as English, French, and German. Also, more westerners should be expected to become interested in the game and improve their level of expertise. Estimates of the total number of Xiangqi players around the world run from a conservative 100 million to well over 500 million. Chinese chess is NOT any of the following games: Shogi, Japanese chess, go, wei chi, weiqi, Chinese checkers, western chess, Korean chess, Thai chess, Makrook, Malaysian chess, Mah Jong, Sic bo, Pai gow. HISTORY Under development. 2 What does the board look like? It looks like this (along with the starting position of the pieces): r---n---m---g---k---g---m---n---r 9 | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 8 | | | | / | \ | | | | +---c---+---+---+---+---+---c---+ 7 | | | | | | | | | p---+---p---+---p---+---p---+---p 6 | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 5 | R I V E R | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 4 | | | | | | | | | P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P 3 | | | | | | | | | +---C---+---+---+---+---+---C---+ 2 | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 1 | | | | / | \ | | | | R---N---M---G---K---G---M---N---R 0 A B C D E F G H I For cultural purists, you may prefer this one. The coordinates are lined up in traditional ways. [The strange characters at the far right below are the Chinese characters for the pieces. You need to use a Chinese editor to view them properly.] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 setup: black 1 (j)_(m)_(x)_(s)_(i)_(s)_(x)_(m)_(j) 10 (i): 51 jiang 将 | | | |\ | /| | | | (s): 41, 61 shi 士 2 |___|___|___|__\|/__|___|___|___| 9 (x): 31, 71 xiang 象 | | | | /|\ | | | | (m): 21, 81 ma 马 3 |__(p)__|___|/__|__\|___|__(p)__| 8 (j): 11, 91 ju 车 | | | | | | | | | (p): 23, 83 pao 炮 4 (z)__|__(z)__|__(z)__|__(z)__|__(z) 7 (z): 14, 34 zu 卒 | | | | | | | | | 54, 74, 94 5 |___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___| 6 | | 6 |_______________________________| 5 | | | | | | | | | SETUP: RED (moves first) 7 (B)__|__(B)__|__(B)__|__(B)__|__(B) 4 (I): 51 shuaI 帅 | | | | | | | | | (S): 41, 61 Shi 仕 8 |__(P)__|___|___|___|___|__(P)__| 3 (X): 31, 71 Xiang 相 | | | |\ | /| | | | (M): 21, 81 Ma 马 9 |___|___|___|__\|/__|___|___|___| 2 (J): 11, 91 Ju 车 | | | | /|\ | | | | (P): 23, 83 Pao 炮 10 (J)_(M)_(X)_(S)_(I)_(S)_(X)_(M)_(J) 1 (B): 14, 34 Bing 兵 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 54, 74, 94 3 What are the pieces and how do they move? Each side has the following pieces (familiar Chess-type English names): 2 Rooks (R) (or chariots) 2 Knights (N) (or horses) 2 Ministers (M) (or bishops or elephants) 2 Guards (G) (or advisers or assistants) 1 King (K) (or generals) 2 Cannons (C) (or gunners) 5 Pawns (P) (or soldiers) [Although we have seen no official confirmation, the WXF English names of pieces at this time are supposedly: King, Adviser, Elephant, chaRiot, Horse, Cannon, & Pawn. CHARGES, & its piece names, are apparently dead.] ROOKS [Chinese Pinyin: Ju1] The rooks move and capture as in chess ........k........9 KNIGHTS [Chinese Pinyin: Ma3] .................8 The knights move and capture as in chess, with .................7 one important difference: they can be blocked. .................6 Example: if a knight sits on c2 and another piece .................5 (either your own or the opponent's) sits on c3, . river . the knight cannot move to d4 or b4; but it could .................4 move to b0 or d0 or a1 or e1 or e3. If a knight ....R............3 sits on c2 and another piece is on d2, then it ....N.c..........2 cannot move to e1 or e3. ..............C..1 Also known as "Horse." ........K...M....0 a b c d e f g h i MINISTERS [Chinese Pinyin: Xiang4] The ministers can move only two diagonal spaces at a time. They cannot cross the river (see River below) to the other side of the board. It captures on the square to which he is moving. A minister on g0 can move to e2 or i2. If an opposing piece sits on e2, he can capture it. If his own piece sits on e2, he cannot move there. If he sits on g0 and another piece sits on h1, he cannot move to i2 because he is blocked. Also known as "Elephant." GUARDS [Chinese Pinyin: Shi4] The guards can move only 1 space diagonally, and cannot leave the palace (see Palace below). They capture the same way they move. Also known as "Adviser." KING [Chinese Pinyin: Red: Shuai4 ; Black: Jiang4] The king moves as in chess, only he cannot move diagonally, only 1 square vertically or horizontally. The king must remain in the palace. Also known as "General." CANNONS [Chinese Pinyin: Pao4] Cannons move like rooks, as many squares vertically or horizontally as they want, as long as there is no other piece in the way. However, cannons capture by jumping over a piece to capture another piece. Example: a cannon sits on e1; a knight sits on f1 (the piece can belong to either side); and an opposing rook sits on h1. The cannon could capture the rook by jumping over the knight. It can only capture by jumping, and can jump over only one piece. If there were two pieces between the cannon and the rook, then the rook could not be captured by that cannon. The cannon cannot jump if it isn't going to capture something, it must simply move like a rook. PAWNS [Chinese Pinyin: Red: Bing1 ; Black: Zu2] Pawns move 1 square forward (never two, as is possible on the first move in chess). While the pawn is on its own side of the board, it captures by moving 1 square forward and taking an opposing piece that may be sitting there (the pawns don't capture diagonally as in chess). Once a pawn moves across the river onto the other side of the board, it acquires an additional power: it can then move 1 square sideways in addition to being able to move 1 square forward. On the other side of the board, the pawn could then capture by moving sideways or forward. The pawn can never move backward. The pawn does not promote when it reaches the back rank of the opponent--it can then just move sideways. PALACE The king and guards cannot leave the palace (except the guards who leave when they are captured :-) ). If we call the king's starting point e0, then the palace is defined as these 9 points: d0, e0, f0, d1, e1, f1, d2, e2, f2. RIVER The river is nothing more than an empty space in the middle of the board dividing the two sides. A piece cannot move into the river-- no one can sit in the river because he would drown. It doesn't count as a space. The word "river" is not printed on most sets; usually there are some Chinese characters printed on it. The minister and guard are considered purely defensive pieces because they cannot cross the river and attack the opposing king. Once a piece crosses the river, it becomes more important for attack than defense. INTERSECTIONS The pieces move on the intersections of the board, not in the spaces between them, as in chess. COLORS In chess, the player who moves first has the "white" pieces. In Chinese chess, the player who moves first moves red pieces. The second player's pieces are usually black or sometimes green or blue. 4 What are the rules of the game? The Asian Xiangqi Federation (AXF) has published an English-langauge rulebook. You can try to get a copy at this address. The price is $2.50 Singapore dollars, plus postage: Asian Xiangqi Federation c/o Hillview Avenue #24-1416 Singapore 661013 Tel: 324-2735 Fax: 324-2736 ----------------------------------------------------------- Asian Xiangqi Federation Rules (Selected) Basic Rules: 1. Perpetual check is forbidden 2. Perpetual attack on an unprotected piece is forbidden 3. If neither side violates a rule, the game is a draw 4. If both sides violate the same rule, the game is a draw 5. If one side violates a rule & the other doesn't, the violator must vary 6. If one side gives perpetual check & the other side gives perpetual attack, the one giving check must vary 7. 2 pieces cannot alternately attack one unprotected piece 8. Alternating an attack with a check is allowed [one check, one chase] 9. If an attacker is a Pawn or King, perpetual attack is allowed 10. If a move involves both the other of an exchange & a simultaneous attack, it counts as an attack. 11. A move threatening mate is not a hit 12. A move threatening capture through checking is not a hit. 13. Perpetual attack on a chaRiot [protected or not] by a Horse or Cannon is forbidden. 14. 1 piece alternately attacking 2 or more unprotected pieces is allowed 15. 2 pieces alternately attacking 2 or more unprotected pieces is allowed 16. 2 or more pieces attacking 1 protected piece is allowed ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5 What are the values of the pieces? Here are some rough values, which of course, can change depending on the game situation or how skillful a particular player is in maneuvering a particular piece: Rook 9 Cannon 4.5 Knight 4 Minister 2 Guard 2 Pawn 2 (after crossing river) Pawn 1 (before crossing river) [From XiangQi Review] 6 What kind of notation is used? It seems every writer or organization uses different notation. We are generally following ICCS notation in the FAQ for compatibility: the rows are A to I from left to right (from red's viewpoint), and the files are number 0-9 from bottom of the board to the top. Other notations are AXF, algebraic, and Xiangqi Review. Not to mention the traditional notation found in Chinese books & magazines. 7 What are some common opening moves? The Central Cannon is the most popular. Red moves Ch2-e2. Black usually replies with Ch7-e7 or Nh9-g7 or Nb9-c7. The Minister's (or Bishop's) opening was popularized by Hu RongHua. The starting move is Mg0-e2. Other starting moves are Pc3-c4 or Pg3-g4 or Nh0-g2. Here is XiangQi Review's listing of common XiangQi openings: ------------- ----------------------- Opening Moves Opening Name in English ------------- ----------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. C2=5 Central Cannon Opening ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. C2=5 C8=5 Cannon's Defense 1. C2=5 C2=5 Counter Cannon Defense 1. C2=5 N8+7 2.... C2=5 Counter Cannon Deferred ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. C2=5 N8+7 2. N2+3 N2+3 Two Knights' Defense [TKD] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. C2=5 N2+3 2. N2+3 N8+9 One Knight's Defense 1. C2=5 N2+3 2. N2+3 R9+1 Accelerated One Knight 1. C2=5 N2+3 2. N2+3 C8=6 Pseudo Two Knight' Defense 3. R1=2 N8+7 1. C2=5 N2+3 2. N2+3 P7+1 Paired Cannons Defense 3. R1=2 R9+2 1. C2=5 N2+3 2. N2+3 R9+1 Right Paired Cannons Defense 3. R1=2 C8-1 1. C2=5 N8+7 2. N2+3 R9=8 The Left Piston 3. R1=2 C8+4 1. C2=5 N8+7 2. N2+3 R9=8 Tiger Formation 3. .... C8=9 1. C2=5 C8+1 Stacked Cannons Defense ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. P3+1 or P7+1 Pawn Opening 1. N2+3 Knight Opening 1. B3+5 Bishop Opening 1. C2=6 Long Cannon Opening 1. C2=4 Short Cannon Opening 1. C2=3 Short Pawn Cannon Opening 1. C2=7 Long Pawn Cannon Opening 1. C2=1 Side Cannon Opening 1. C2+2 Border Cannon Opening 1. P9+1 Side Pawn Opening 1. N8+9 Side Knight Opening 1. G4+5 Guard Opening ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Others Irregular Openings ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Are there any proverbs for this game? Most Chinese chess proverbs are slight "exaggerations" of the truth: When my opponent's cannon moves to the middle, my knight jumps up front. (For the most common opening.) If a rook is not moved within the first 3 moves, it is dead. A pawn is as powerful as a rook after it crosses the river. An old pawn is as good as none ("old" when on opponent's back rank) Weak players go for pawns and call "check!" every move. Single rook can hardly ever beat a complete Guard/Minister defense. 9 Are there any basic guidelines for handicap play? Rook Odds The side giving odds as red plays without the left rook. There are 3 "iron" pieces. Red's leftmost pawn, left knight and left cannon can't be captured unless they've moved. 2 Knights Odds Red plays without his knights. "Iron" center pawn. Red's center pawn can be captured only by check & only by the piece giving check. Knight and Move(s) Odds The side giving odd plays black and without his left knight; red makes 1 or more moves before black replies (possible red moves-- see Moves Odds). 1 Knight Odds Red plays without his left knight. 4 Plus Moves Odds The side receiving odds plays red & makes 4 or more moves before black moves. No pieces except pawns can be moved to the player's own river edge for these 4 (or more) moves. 3 Moves Odds The side receiving odds as red makes 3 moves before black replies. About equal to 1 knight odds. No pieces are allowed to cross the river during these 3 initial moves. 2 Moves Odds Side receiving odds as red makes 2 moves. 1 Move Odds The side receiving odds plays red. Less Than 1 Move Odds Half-move odds would be playing 2 games as red & 1 as black. Agree to the conditions before play begins to avoid disputes. Giving cannon odds is rare & much harder than giving knight odds. 10 What about Chinese Chess Cards? Here is some information on Chinese Chess Cards. If anyone has additional or conflicting information, please let us know. The cards themselves are very slim, probably less than half as wide as regular playing cards. Packs are made based on both 2-sided & 4-sided Chinese Chess. The idea of the game is to collect as many related cards as possible. Cards based on 4-sided chess are called "Soo Sik Pai" and contain 28 basic cards repeated a number of times. Each suit has a different colored background which represents the chess pieces. The green & white suits correspond to the red pieces & the red & yellow suits correspond to the black pieces. The 28 red-suit cards usually contain drawings of full-length figures, such as the "five blessings" men, as well as the symbols for its piece. The white cards have flowers. The yellow cards are marked with animals. There are 33 green cards, 28 with birds and butterflies, and also 5 figure cards with jokers or honors, with no other markings. The 2-player chess cards are called "Hung Pai". They have 2 suits, one white and one red or black, which contain the same cards as the respective suits in the 4-player chess game. The basic cards can be repeated several times to a maximum of 112 cards. Sometimes jokers are added to the pack. 11 Are there any variants of Chinese Chess? A. The Three Friends According to H.R. Murray, this game is supposed to illustrate the war of the Three Kingdoms (although perhaps the "3 Kingdoms" version, listed next, and not this one, is meant): Wei (blue), Shu (red) and Wu (green), A.D. 221-64. The lines of the board are not straight throughout, and each army faces the other two. The pieces consist of the regular 16, but also a different piece (2 of them for each army). This piece in red's army is designated as (F) for "fire." Blue's is called (B) for "banner" and green's is called (W) for "wind." Their move is an extended knight's move: 2 steps vertically or horizontally and then 1 step diagonally. In the initial position, they each sit 2 spaces directly above the guards of each army. When one of the Generals (who are named Wei, Shu, and Wu) is mated, the player who has mated him removes the king from the board and adds the remainder of his army to his own. The board has 6 sides. 3 of the sides have 9 spaces across (where the 3 armies start). The other 3 sides have 10 spaces across, each. The board is really 3 half regular boards, plus 12 squares (3 X 4 squares, each dividing each army's half board from the others) & 1 triangle space (in the very center of the board). A diagram of the board is given in H.R. Murray's book, "A History of Chess." R = Rook K = King F = Fire H = Horse C = Cannon B = Banner E = Elephant P = Pawn W = Wind G = Guard Here's an ascii diagram of the board: Blue Army (R)-+----+---(P)-|----|-(P)---+----+-(R) Green Army (H)---+---(C)------|----|------(C)---+---(H) (E)-----+-------(P)\ | | /(P)-------+-----(E) (G) -----(B)---- \ \|----|/ \ / ---(W)------(G) (K) + \ | | /\ + (K) (G) \ \ | | / \ / (G) (E) \ (P) \|----|/ (P) / (E) (H) + (B) \ | | / \ (W) + (H) (R) \ \ \ \|----|/ / / / (R) + (C) (P) \ / \ / \ / (P) (C) + + \ \ \ / \/ \ / / \/ + (P) \ \ / \ /|\ / \ / / \(P) \ / \ \ / | \ / / \ / / + \ \ / \ | / \ / / \ + \ \ / \ \ | / / \ / / + \ \ \ | / / / + \ \ \ \ | / / / / (P)---+---(P)---+---(P)---+---(P)---+---(P) +--(C)--+---(F)---+---(F)---+--(C)--+ +----+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+ (R)-(H)-(E)-(G)-(K)-(G)-(E)-(H)-(R) Red Army B. The Three Kingdoms This is another version of the 3-player game. The board is different from Version 1. In this one, 3 Xiangqi half-boards are placed against the central "triangle" area. Every intersection on the half-boards and in the triangle can be moved upon by the pieces. I see no evidence of any extra pieces (as in Version 1). / \ Half Xiangqi -----------> /___\ <---------------- Half Xiangqi /\ /\ Board Placed ---------> /___\/__\ <-------------- Board Placed /\ /\ /\ Against Side -------> /___\/__\/__\ <------------ Against Side /\ /\ /\ /\ Of Triangle -----> /___\/__\/__\/__\ <---------- Of Triangle /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ (Same as ----> /___\/__\/__\/__\/__\ <-------- (Same as /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ Half Board ---> /___\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\ <------ Half Board at /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ At Bottom --> /___\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\ <---- Bottom of /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ Of Triangle) ->/___\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\/__\ <-- Triangle) | | | | | | | | | |___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___| | | | | | | | | | |___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___| | | | |\ | /| | | | |___|___|___|__\|/__|___|___|___| | | | | /|\ | | | | |___|___|___|/__|__\|___|___|___| C. Half-Board Variant Here is another Xiangqi variant, as given in Xiangqi Review (Volume II, Number 5). You only use half the board, but all 32 pieces. Turn over all 32 pieces, so you can't see what they are, and mix them all well. Then put them all face-down on the *squares* of a half-board--not on the intersections, on the squares, like in western chess. After deciding who goes first, the first player chooses a piece to turn over, which constitutes one move. Then the second player turns over a piece. The players then alternate, either turning over another piece or making a move with a piece already turned up. All the pieces move the same way--one square up, down, right, or left, but not diagonally. You can move a piece onto any adjacent empty square, or onto an adjacent square occupied by another piece by capturing that piece, if legal. The captured piece is then removed from the board. Moving is compulsory, capturing not. The men rank in this order: king -> Rook -> Horse -> Cannon -> Bishop -> Guard -> Pawn -->> King Each piece can take any piece that's equal or lower in rank. The exception is that a pawn *can* take a king! A game is won when you capture all your opponent's men, or when he resigns. Checkmating the king doesn't end the game, draws are rare. Material gain is the highest objective. Be careful when capturing that your piece isn't trapped or lost to a higher piece. There is no checking or hitting violations, no repetition prohibitions. Force your opponent to take risks by having to turn over unknown pieces next to his. In some positions, the rook may even be worth more than the king. D. Who Crosses the River First? "Who Crosses The River First?" Supposedly comes from the area around Chang-an at a caravan crossing point on the Yellow River. The game is the battle between the merchants and the bandits and is supposed to be popular with ferrymen and drovers of all ages. If anyone has conflicting or additional information, let us know. Board: 9x10, river across the center s---s---+---+---p---+---+---s---s | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | h---h---c---c---+---c---c---h---h | | | | | | | | | +---a---+---a---+---a---+---a---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---A---+---A---+---A---+---A---+ | | | | | | | | | H---H---C---C---+---C---C---H---H | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | S---S---+---+---P---+---+---S---S A-Artillery: may be set up anywhere in the row they are on, moves any number orthogonally [like a standard cannon?] but must always jump exactly one piece whether it captures or not. C-Camel: moves any number diagonally. H-Horse: may be set anywhere in their row not already occupied by a Camel, jumps 2 orthogonally. P-Prince: 1 or 2 in any direction. S-Soldier/Robber/Guard: any number vertically forward but may not cross the river. "There is no capturing" [?] Win by surrounding the opposing Prince so that he cannot move, regardless of whether any other piece can move. No piece may jump over a Prince. Players are Red and Black. Red sets his pieces on the board first. Black then sets his pieces on the board and throws the die first. Players take turns throwing the die, without moving any pieces, until one of them throws a 5. That player makes the first move using the 5. Play then becomes turn-and-turn about, each moving according to the throw of the die. The die is a long, 4-sided stick (chopstick?) with the numbers 2/3/4/5 on its sides. A throw of 2 the player moves an Artillery piece. A throw of 3 the player moves a Horse A throw of 4 the player moves a Camel A throw of 5 the player moves a Soldier or his Prince (End of Part 1 of 3) rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ (2/3) From: xiangqi@aol.com (Xiangqi) Reply to: Xiangqi Date: 16 Aug 1998 23:34:01 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Newsgroups: rec.games.chinese-chess Followup to: newsgroup(s) (Part 2 of 3 - rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ) E. Seven Warring States Variant Name of Game: Qiguo Xiangxi (7 Warring States Chess) There are a total of 120 pieces used in this variant symbolizing the seven Warring States (403-221 B.C.) period. This variant was created by Guang Si-ma. The Zhou (kingdom) has 1 piece (at the center point of the board). Each of the 7 Warring States has 17 pieces. The Zhou piece is yellow (central space) Qin is white (starts in west position) Chu is red (south position) Qi is indigo (dark blue) (east position) Yan is black (north position) Han is cinnabar (orange-red) (south position) Wei is green (east position) Zhao is purple (north position) Pieces: General (Jiang) Each of 7 states has 1 General. He moves vertically, horizontally, or diagonally with no limit on distance (like the queen in western chess). Deputy General (Pian1) Each army has 1 Deputy General. He moves vertically or horizontally with no limit on distance (like the rook). Officer (Bi4) Each army has 1 Officer. He moves diagonally without limit (like the bishop in western chess). The Generals, Deputy Generals, and Officers are viewed as being mounted on chariots (elephants were not used in China, though the Xiang character is used in the game's name). Diplomat or Liaison Officer (Xing2ren2) Each army has 1 Diplomat. He moves vertically, horizontally, or diagonally without limit (like the queen in western chess). But he may not engage in combat, and may not be killed. Cannon (Pao) Each army has 1 cannon. It moves vertically or horizontally without limit. There must be an intervening piece for it to attack another piece (it moves just like modern-day cannon). Archers (Gong1) Each army has 1 (unit of) Archers. The unit moves 4 spaces (on each move) vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Crossbowmen (Nu3) Each army has 1 (unit of) Crossbowmen. The unit moves 5 spaces vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Swordsmen (Dao1) Each army has 2 units of Swordsmen. Each unit moves 1 space diagonally. Broadswordsmen (Qian?) Each army has 4 units of Broadswordsmen. Each unit moves 1 space vertically or horizontally. Cavalry (Qi2) Each army has 4 units of Cavalry. Each unit moves 4 spaces and moves similar to a knight--1 space in a straight line and then 3 spaces diagonally. If 7 people play the game, each takes 1 warring state. If 6 people play, 1 player takes both Qin and 1 other state in alliance with it. If 5 people play, then in addition to the Qin alliance, Chu is allied with 1 other state. If 4 people play, then in addition to the Qin and Chu alliances, Qi is allied to another state. When each player takes possession of 1 state, those states with which they are allied are chosen by the players themselves. Both of the allied states are directed by the choosing players, who must first take an oath: "If either of the states under my command is lost, it will be through my own carelessness." If 1 player orders an ally to attack a very strongly defended state, he must first penalize himself by downing a glass of alcohol. The order of play is: Qin, Chu, Han, Qi, Wei, Zhao, and Yan (this order is counterclockwise beginning with the state in the west in the initial position, which is Qin). If a poor move is played, it may not be taken back (except if penalty is agreed by players beforehand--glass of beer, lose next turn, etc.). If anyone moves a piece incorrectly, he is penalized (either a lost move or a shot of liquor, exact penalties at discretion of players themselves). If a player attacks his own ally, then the entire army of that ally is lost and removed from the board. Whenever a player is placed in check, he may be penalized according to previously agreed upon penalty :-) A player wins over another state by capturing that enemy's General. But even if the General is not taken, a player can win by capturing more than 10 other pieces of the opposing state. If an enemy has not yet lost 10 pieces and a player's own army loses more than 10, then that player's own army is lost and removed. At the end of the game, the player who has captured the most pieces is the winner of the game. First the winner takes a victory drink (a special drink that is not used for other purposes associated with this game), then the losers take a drink. Should 1 player have captured 2 Generals, or take a total of 30 lesser pieces, he is declared Dictator, or Tyrant, or just Bully (Ba4). Once a player has become Dictator, all the other states avow their submission to him, and everyone drinks another round. Relative value of pieces in their initial positions: 1 Cavalry unit is equal to any 2 units of Archers, Crossbowmen, Swordsmen, or Broadswordsmen. A Cannon is equal to 3 units of same. An Officer is equal to 4. A Deputy General is equal to 5. The Zhou king is yellow and sits in the center to show respect for the Son of Heaven. He has no army, does not engage in battle. Each of the 7 states has a particular color to reflect its directional position. The Diplomats represent persuasive politicians who try to create alliances among the states. The Yi Zheng Retired Scholar Pei Zi-xi obtained a copy of the text of this game's rules and had it engraved on wooden blocks so that it would be widely transmitted. It was then printed on the day of the Lantern Festival in the second year of the Kai-xi reign period (24 February 1206). Game Board with Initial Position G General D Deputy General O Officer L Liaison Officer (Diplomat) P Pao (Cannon) A Archers C Crossbowmen S Swordsmen B Broadswordsmen H Horsemen (Cavalry) Z Zhou King Yan Zhao +---+--(H)-(B)-(O)-(G)-(D)-(B)-(H)--+--(H)-(B)-(O)-(G)-(D)-(B)-(H)--+---+ +---+---+--(H)-(B)-(P)-(B)-(H)--+---+---+--(H)-(B)-(P)-(B)-(H)--+---+---+ +---+---+---+--(S)-(C)-(S)--+---+---+---+---+--(S)-(C)-(S)--+---+---+--(H) +---+---+---+---+--(A)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(A)--+---+---+--(H)-(B) +---+---+---+---+--(L)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(L)--+---+--(S)-(B)-(O)W +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(L)-(A)-(C)-(P)-(G)e (H)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(S)-(B)-(D)i (B)-(H)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(H)-(B) Q(D)-(B)-(S)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(H) i(G)-(P)-(C)-(A)-(L)--+---+---+---+--(Z)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ n(O)-(B)-(S)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(H) (B)-(H)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(H)-(B) (H)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(S)-(B)-(O)Q +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(L)-(A)-(C)-(P)-(G)i +---+---+---+---+--(L)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(L)--+---+--(S)-(B)-(D) +---+---+---+---+--(A)--+---+---+---+---+---+---+--(A)--+---+---+--(H)-(B) +---+---+---+--(S)-(C)-(S)--+---+---+---+---+--(S)-(C)-(S)--+---+---+--(H) +---+---+--(H)-(B)-(P)-(B)-(H)--+---+---+--(H)-(B)-(P)-(B)-(H)--+---+---+ +---+--(H)-(B)-(D)-(G)-(O)-(B)-(H)--+--(H)-(B)-(D)-(G)-(O)-(B)-(H)--+---+ Chu Han F. 5 Tigers XiangQi Review (Sept/Oct 1995) contains information on a popular variant called "5 Tigers". The "5 Tigers" refers to red's 5 pawns, which have special powers. The pawns can move 2 point each move, or red could choose the option of, on one turn, moving one pawn one point, and another pawn one point. Once they cross the river, they can also move sideways, just as in standard Xiangqi. A red pawn across the river could move one point forward and one point sideways on one turn. So how to make the game fair for black? Well, in this variant, red plays WITHOUT his 2 rooks, 2 knights, and 2 cannons! It may seem at first glance that red wouldn't have a chance with such a material deficit, but that just shows the might of the 5 tigers, as their 2-point moves can quickly overwhelm the enemy king. This is the starting lineup: r---n---m---g---k---g---m---n---r | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---c---+---+---+---+---+---c---+ | | | | | | | | | p---+---p---+---p---+---p---+---p | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---+---M---G---K---G---M---+---+ Red's objective is to create passed tiger-pawns and get them as close to the black king as possible to deliver mate, and also to try to take as many enemy pieces as possible. Black wants to defend his king, kill off as many tigers as possible, while remaining with enough of a material advantage to win the game. If black can exchange either a rook, knight, or cannon for each tiger, he will probably win, because he will still have one piece remaining. To see the danger of a red tiger in the black king's palace, look at this diagram: r---n---m---g---k---g---m---+---r | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+--(P)--|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---n---c---+ | | | | | | | | | p---+---+---+---p---+---+---+---p | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | P---+---+---+---P---+---+---+---P | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---+---M---G---K---G---M---+---+ In this position, black is checkmated! Notice the red tiger near the black king. Because red is threatening to take his king with P6+1 and P6=5, black must either move his king or kill the tiger. He can do neither. If black's left guard were above his king, he would have the move k5=6 and could escape. G. Lucky Xiangqi All the pieces, except the kings, are turned over so you can't see what they are. You mix them up so you don't know what they are, and place them all on the starting points. Then you turn over a piece as you move it. I don't have many more details than this. This is another advantage of using flat pieces--you can turn them over & play variants such as this one. H. YiTong [The Unified, All-in-One Piece] To play YiTong, remove red's cannons, knights, and left rook. Black plays with all his pieces. All pieces move as in the regular game, except that red's rook can move either as a rook, or a cannon, or a knight on any move. I don't have many details as I saw this mentioned in a Chinese game book I browsed through in a store. Supposedly it was very popular in Manchuria. This is the starting lineup: r---n---m---g---k---g---m---n---r | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---c---+---+---+---+---+---c---+ | | | | | | | | | p---+---p---+---p---+---p---+---p | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | \ | / | | | | +---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+ | | | | / | \ | | | | +---+---M---G---K---G---M---+---R Usually, red's first move would probably be R1+2, moving like a knight. I. Four-Player Chinese Chess Here is the starting lineup: ************************* Four-Player Chinese Chess ************************* R---N---M---G---K---G---M---N---R | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---C---+---+---+---+---+---C---+ | | | | | | | | | P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P | | | | | | | | | R---+---+---P---|-------------------------------|---P---+---+---R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N---+---C---+---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---+---C---+---N | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | M---+---+---P---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---P---+---+---M | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | G---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---G | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | K---+---+---P---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---P---+---+---K | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | G---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---+---+---+---G | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | M---+---+---P---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---P---+---+---M | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N---+---C---+---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---+---C---+---N | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R---+---+---P---|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|---P---+---+---R | | | | | | | | | P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P | | | | | | | | | +---C---+---+---+---+---+---C---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | R---N---M---G---K---G---M---N---R 12 Can you recommend some books? There are only a few books in English that are readily available: (New book info taken from Shogi-L mailing list (6/98): 4 Great Games (144 pages) by Tony Hosking. The beginner's guide to Western chess, shogi (Japanese chess), shiang chi (Chinese chess) and go (wei chi). Based upon professional games and analysis, including: * Clear explanation of the rules and fundamental strategy of each game. * Comparison of overall strategy and tactics in the 3 king-hunting games of chess, shogi and shiang chi, and then with the more territorial game of go. * Detailed openings guide in each game for more advanced study. * 16 complete annotated games by the world's top players (some playing a game outside the one specialized in); including Alekhine, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Morphy (chess); Habu, Kimura, Oyama, Sato, Yonenaga (shogi); Hubner, Hu, Lu, Xie Jun, Zhao (shiang chi); Cho, Go, Iwamoto, Jowa, Senchi, Shusai (go). 4 Great Games 11.99 UKP (*). Please pay in UKP with either a cheque drawn on a UK bank, Eurocheque or Internation Order (otherwise add 4 UKP for bank to clear cheque), and add a per-order postage cost of 10% UK, 15% Europe, 30% USA, 35% rest of world (delivery by airmail outside UK), to: The Shogi Foundation, P.O. Box 172, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 8ZA, England. (*) UKP = United Kingdom Pounds. ----- 1. First Syllabus on Xiangqi - Chinese Chess I 1996 ISBN: 0-9637852-5-7; 160 pages 6 x 9 softcover Price: USA: $13.50 (includes postage & handling) Outside USA: 12 pounds or equivalent, airpost paid. Send orders to: Mr. David H. Li PO Box 341267 Bethesda, MD 20827 USA 2. Chinese Chess by H.T. Lau. 1986. Tuttle. Basic rules, opening, middle and endgame play. Many exercises. Material needed to win or draw various endings. Descriptions of popular opening variations. This book received a rating of 6 in XiangQi Review (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest). 3. Let's Play Chinese Chess by B. Constantino. 1988. From Hong Kong. (Available from Yutopian Enterprises. See address below.) [I do not know of any reputable publication that has published a review of this book.] 4. Chinese Chess by Robert Lin. 1991. The Alternative Press. PO Box 98308, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Fax: (852) 881 1853. Phone: (852) 577 6319. ISBN 962-7335-07-x. 81 pp, algebraic notation & Chinese pieces. ["It is the best English-language book I have seen."-- a fan in Europe.] 5. Chinese Chess for Beginners by Sam Sloan. 1992. Ishi Press. Ishi Press 1394-A Willow Rd Menlo Park, CA 94025 415-223-6996 This book received a rating of 3.5 in XiangQi Review (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest). Other books in English you might find in a library or old book store: 6. Hsiang Ch'i: The Chinese Game of Chess by Terence Donnelly. 7. A Manual of Chinese Chess by Charles Wilkes. 8. The Chess of China by Dennis Leventhal. 9. Shang Chi--The Chinese Chess by Chen-Chih Sun. Other books which have chapters on Chinese chess: The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants by David Pritchard, 1994. Chapters on Chinese chess & several of its variants. The Board Game Book by R.C. Bell. ISBN 0-85685-447-6. p24-25. 2 page spread including board. Paper/card pieces with the book. Board and Table Games of Many Civilisations by R.C. Bell. ISBN 0-486-23855-5. p66-68. Games Ancient and Oriental and How to Play Them (Dover reprint of 19th C book)by Edward Falkener. ISBN 0-486-20739-0. p 143-145. Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional & Modern by John Gollon. Tuttle, 1985. Describes Chinese chess, and 3-player Chinese chess. Oriental Board Games by David Pritchard. FICTION A critically-acclaimed novella about Xiangqi is Ah Cheng's story, "Qi Wang" [Chess King]. This novella can be found in the journal _Chinese Literature_ (Summer 1985), pages 84-132. 13 Where can I buy books? Chinese Chess (Lau), Let's Play Chinese Chess and Chinese Chess (Lin) are available from: Yutopian Enterprises 2255 - 29th St. Suite 3 Santa Monica, CA 90405 phone: (310) 578-7181 Fax: (310) 578-7381 e-mail: yutopian@netcom.com Home Page: http://www.webwind.com/go The Chinese Chess Institute sells many English pamphlets on recent tournaments in Asia, as well as books written in Chinese. A translation guide is provided. See address for XiangQi Review below. David Wurman has written two books in German: 1. Chinesisches Schach/Koreanisches Schach. 1991. 350 pages. Price: DM 48 (about $32) 2. Chinesisches Schach Leicht Gemacht! Regeln. Tricks und Taktik. 1993. 192 pages. Price: DM 14.90 (about $9.25) These books may be ordered from Wurman at this address: [This address may not be current] David Wurman c/o Haya Wurman 3.A Keller St Hacarmel, Haifa 34483 Israel 14 Can you recommend some magazines? 1. XiangQi Review is the best English language publication. It is published 6 times a year, usually 20 pages. $10/year in US, or $15/year overseas. Address is: Chinese Chess Institute PO Box 5305 Hercules, CA 94547-5305 (We recommend a subscription as a much better value than any of the English books. This magazine is better than all the English-language books combined.) 2. Variant Chess: The Magazine to Expand Your Chess Horizons Peter Wood 39 Linton Rd, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1TW England 4 issues per year 1-year subscription: 8 pounds (UK), 9 pd (surface), 11 pd (air) This newsletter includes a column on Chinese chess, as well as information on Shogi and Chess variants. Very enlightening for fans interested in the major chess-type variants. 3. Xiangqi Mi Tong Bao. In Italian. Published annually. Agostino Guberti Via Don Gnocchi 20/D 20075 Lodi (Milano), Italy Covers news from Italy & Europe. 4. Xiangqi-Kurier. In German. Claus Tempelmann Lubeckstr. 48 38108 Braunschweig Germany Coverage of the extensive Xiangqi activities in Germany. E-mail address: claus.tempelmann@ifn-magdeburg.de 5. Xiangqi Newsletter. In Japanese. Bi-monthly. 8-20 pp. Japan Xiangqi Association 4-1-15 Shimoigusa, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167 Japan 6. Chinese Chess Newsletter. Published from England, so focuses on Europe. The "usual" subscription rate is 10 pounds a year. Recent information suggests this newsletter is only published sporadically at this time. C.K. Lai 12 Lagan House Sumner Rd London SE15 5RB England 7. Magazines from China To subscribe to Chinese-language magazines from China, contact China Books & Periodicals in San Francisco. Address and phone numbers are given below. Some of the titles they can get for you are: Xiang Qi, Bei Fang Qi Yi. If anyone knows of a source for more Chinese Xiangqi magazines, please let me know. 15 Where can I buy Sets? From Yutopian Enterprises or at your nearest Chinatown if you live near a large city, or from Chinese or Vietnamese grocery & gift shops in smaller cities. Yutopian Enterprises sells a selection of sets & books. Either write to the address given above, or contact them on the Internet. Yutopian sells a wooden Xiangqi board, which we recommend because the paper boards you get with many sets don't last long. You can also buy set from: The Elephant Chess Club 675 VFW Parkway #111 Chestnut Hill, MA 02167-3656 Email: ElphntChss@aol.com $25 plus $6 postage and handling You get wooden pieces with Chinese characters on one side and western "symbols" on the other. You get an instruction manual and a playing sheet. 16 Is there any software available? There are 6 commercial programs for PCs: Chinese Chess Master III, Uncle Wang, XIAN, Mind Games, and Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess, and "World Chess Series One: Chinese Chess." Chinese Chess Master III (DOS version) $44.00 + $4.00 shipping Supports Sound Blaster. 70% English screen. Easy to use. VGA display. Good for advanced players. Beautiful graphics and 36 opponents to choose from. Very strong. Beginners new to Chinese chess may want to select a different program. The easiest opponent of Chinese Chess Master III is very difficult to defeat, and you cannot change the strength level. Not many features, just a really tough game. Windows95 One way to run CCM III with Windows95 is to run it in DOS mode. Press "Start" then select the "Shut down" option. Then select "Restart in DOS mode." Once you get to the C prompt, run CCM III as you normally would. When finished, return to the C prompt, then type "exit." This should return you to Windows95. Another DOS program, Uncle Wang, works fine this way, too. It's probably a good idea to use this method with any DOS program giving you problems under Windows95. You could run CCM III under Windows95 simply by selecting its icon in Explorer, or by typing a command line using the "Run" command. This way, CCM III should pop up in a window. But the colors will be messed up and the program will run slower than normal [apparently this is expected when running a DOS program this way]. You may also need to use your arrow keys to move the cursor & issue commands if your mouse becomes disabled. But when running the program this way you do get the toolbar at the top of the screen. To make the program look normal, you need to let it take up the entire screen, by holding down Alt & pressing Enter. To return to the window mode, press Alt+Enter again. If you're having problems with this method, you may want to try running it in DOS mode. Ordering information: Data Station No returns! Be sure that you know what you want before buying. Foreign orders please add $20.00, otherwise send a Post Office US$ money-order to eliminate the extra $20.00 charge. Send a letter with the product name, ship to address, phone number, check, the product name to: (Foreign shipping (S/H) charge might vary) P.O. BOX 91654 City of Industry, CA 91715-1654 (213) 344-8595 E-Mail bamboo@delphi.com (California residents please add 8.25% sales tax.) Add $4.00 shipping charge when ordering from Data Station. (Make check payable to Data Station) Yutopian Enterprises Yutopian Enterprises also sells Chinese Chess Master III. $44.00 + $1.50 shipping. See address above. Uncle Wang Price: $28 Features: 8 skill levels, position setup, save games, take back moves, change sides. A DOS program. Probably ranks second in strength behind CCM III. XIAN Available from Data Station or Yutopian $29.95 + $4 shipping Features: 9 skill levels, position setup, save positions, take back moves, change sides. Many features. Probably the best choice for beginners. Xian for Windows is also available [?] World Chess Series One: Chinese Chess (DOS) (Pachyderm Software) Features: multiple time & depth settings; position setup; suggest moves; handicap play; modify piece values. Mouse support. [Not sure who is currently selling this one.] China Books & Periodicals, Inc. 2929 - 24th St. San Francisco, CA 94110 Phone: (415) 282-2994 FAX: (415) 282-0994 $39.95 + $4 shipping Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess (the weakest commercial program) $49.95 (Exciting graphics) [You can find this in the "Battle Chess" package sold in large computer stores like CompUSA.] MACINTOSH SHAREWARE PROGRAM For the Macintosh, there is a shareware program written by Tie Zeng available on the Internet. Ftp to: mac.archive.umich.edu. The program is in the path: /mac/game/board and is called chinesechesspro1.01.cpt.hqx. DOS SHAREWARE PROGRAMS There are a few shareware DOS Chinese chess program available on the Internet. Two are available via anonymous ftp at caissa.onenet.net. The stronger program is currently in the path: /pub/chess/DOS/OLD-STUFF/cch.zip. Type "play" to start. The other, weaker, program is in the path: /pub/chess/DOS/OLD-STUFF/chinechs.exe. For public domain freeware/shareware info, get issue 17 of ShareDebate International (dbate017.zip). For information on Korean chess, get issue 18 (dbate018.zip). For software to enable users to create their own Chinese/Korean Chess board & pieces, get issue 19 (dbate019.zip). The ftp address is: ftp.ifcss.org & the path is: /pub/software/dos/misc/. WINDOWS SHAREWARE PROGRAM There is a new Windows Chinese Chess program available. It is currently available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/ccchess.zip. DATABASE PROGRAM CCHVIEW is a popular database for viewing games from ICCS, games posted to rec.games.chinese-chess, or your own games. Available from Peter Sung's home page. (End of Part 2 of 3) rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ (3/3) From: xiangqi@aol.com (Xiangqi) Reply to: Xiangqi Date: 17 Aug 1998 00:52:50 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Newsgroups: rec.games.chinese-chess Followup to: newsgroup(s) (Part 3 of 3 - rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ) 17 Are There Any Chinese Chess Home Pages on the Internet? XIANGQI WWW PAGES 1. Club Xiang Qi http://www.xiangqi.com *Play xiangqi through java server *Meet xiangqi friends *Buy xiangqi supplies 2. Peter Sung's Page http://txa.ipoline.com Peter Sung's WWW Chinese-Chess Home Page contains many items: *News reports *The Asian rules & diagrams of positions from the rule book. *A link to the rec.games.chinese-chess newsgroup. *A link to ICCS. *Rating Lists *Software *Game Records *Etc. 3. Stephen Leary's Home Page http://members.aol.com/xiangqi *rec.games.chinese-chess FAQ *Yearly xiangqi reviews *Xiangqi fiction 4. Roleigh Martin's Page http://www.xmission.com/~gastown/afi/ch_index.htm *Information on Chinese Chess & Korean Chess 5. ICC [Internet Chinese Chess] Home Page http://www.cs.utk.edu/~chan/ *Software program WICCSC for playing on the Internet *Links to other Xiangqi pages 6. The ICCS Home Page http://www.math.harvard.edu/~xichen/ICCS.html *Information about the Internet Chinese Chess Server. 7. The Friends of Chinese Chess in Finland http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/6177 *Chinese Chess activities in Finland 8. Hans Bodlaender's Home Page http://www.cs.ruu.nl/~hansb/d.chessvar/chin.faq.html *Includes Chinese Chess & Variants *Includes an HTML version of this FAQ 9. Hong Kong Home Page http://202.45.191.130/~bcc/hkcc/ 10 Hong Kong Chinese Chess Association Monthly Newsletter http://hkusub.hku.hk:8000/~hkuchess/chess__monthly/index.html 11 Chinese Chess Page from Singapore http://nusunix2.nus.sg/nussu/Clubsoc/chess/two.html 12 Japan Xiangqi Association http://www.tqm.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~shuwenc/hobby/cchess/cch_club/cch_c lub.html 13 Volker Zink's Xiangqi Page http://www.inf-wiss.uni-konstanz.de/~zink/spiele/xiangqi_e.html 14 Sam Sloan's Page http://www.ishipress.com/ 15 German Xiangqi Association http://www.physik.TU-Berlin.DE/~garfield/index.html XIANGQI FONT Anyone interested in publishing his own material on Xiangqi may want to purchase fonts available from: Alpine Electronics 526 West 7th St. Powell, WY 82435 Internet: smiths@aca.nwc.whecn.edu Price: $29.00 You get 7 fonts. The fonts are True Type & work with Windows. There is also a Macintosh version. You may want to contact Alpine and ask for the printed catalog to take a look at them. Alpine also sells fonts for Shogi (Japanese & English pieces), Chess, Go, etc. 18 Can I play opponents by using my computer? You can play real time games on the International Chinese Chess Server (ICCS). Telnet to: iccs.ixa.org 5555 or 149.130.70.17 5555 Login with a name & choose a password. Type "help" or "help intro" if you're new. To register your name after you login, type "register [your e-mail address]." There is a backup Chinese chess server: 1. coolidge.math.harvard.edu 5555 JAVA Chinese Chess Server Club Xiang Qi http://www.xiangqi.com *For playing Xiangqi on the Internet *You need a java-enhanced browser, such as a recent version of Netscape's Navigator or Microsoft's Explorer. Banchi Server http://www.itsnet.com/~redbrian/ *For playing "Banchi" a half-board variant. SERVER CLIENTS NOTE: Many of these software programs are available on Peter Sung's home page. UNIX iccs-1.3.tar.gz is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/unix/misc/iccs-1.3.tar.gz. X-WINDOWS Cchess is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/x-win/games/cchess.tar.gz xcchess is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/x-win/games/xcchess.tar.gz. xiccc is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/x-win/games/xiccc203.tar.gz. xicch is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/x-win/games/xicchv1.1.p3.tar.gz xiccplus-3.0a1 is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/x-win/games/xiccplus-2.1.tar.gz. MACINTOSH ICCS is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/mac/misc/ICCS_client1.0b3.sea.hqx. chinese-chess-pro is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/mac/misc/chinese-chess-pro-101.hqx. PC-DOS ZUVGA is available at caissa.onenet.net in the path: /pub/chess/DOS/zuvga060.zip. DOSICCS is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/dos/misc/dosiccs.zip. This program is for PCs with network cards. CCHTSR is at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/dos/misc/cchtsr09.zip. PC MS-WINDOWS Peter Sung's ICCSWK is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/iccswk20.zip. For ICCS & Windows & Winsock (Slip/ppp/ethernet). Windows95 & ICCSWSK: Problem: I was trying to install ICCSWSK into WIN95 system, but got an error message saying "File Not Found." Then the setup program quit. I have another system on WIN3.1 and the ICCSWSK is running fine. Then I upgraded from WIN3.1 to WIN95. ICCSWSK is also running OK on WIN95. I suspect that the setup.exe program is looking for the DOS expand.exe program in order to install ICCSWSK. By the way, the WIN95 system no longer uses expand.exe. Solution: Try to get the expand program to expand the setupkit.dl_ to setupkit.dll (expand setupkit.dl_ setupkit.dll) then copy it to the window system directory; go back to win95 and run setup again. Winiccs is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/win-iccs.zip. Makes you feel like you are playing on a UNIX machine, for modem or ethernet. cccterm is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/cccterm.zip. For modems. iccstm is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/iccstm20.zip. WINDOWS95 & NT A Win95/NT 32-bit ICCS Client is available on Peter Sung's home page. HUMAN-HUMAN INTERNET TOOL There is a human-human Chinese Chess Internet tool. It is available at ftp.ifcss.org in the path: /pub/software/ms-win/game/tchess11.zip. 19 Are there any clubs where I can find opponents? USA [DISCLAIMER: The USA clubs are located in Chinatowns. The regular clientele may or may not be receptive to westerners. We have NO reports of any of these clubs having welcoming attitudes to outsiders. Just the opposite. If any adventurous souls want to tread inside & report on your experiences, by all means, do so.] LOS ANGELES Los Angeles Chinese Chess Association 230 South Garfield Avenue, Suite 202B Monterey Park, CA 91754, U.S.A. Tel: 1-818-571-8153 1-818-571-5532 Fax: 1-818-282-2506 NEW YORK New York Chinese Chess Association 21 Division St New York, NY 10002 FAX: 1 212 966-7360 Phone: 1 212 219-8858 United East Athletic Association, Xiangqi Club 70 Mulberry St, Room 201 New York, NY 10003 Phone: 1 718 273-4915 SAN FRANCISCO Chinese Cultural Service Center 832 Stockton St. San Francisco, CA 94108 Phone: 1 415 982-4672 Hours: M-F 9:30 - 5pm S-S 10:00 - 4pm [If looking for a club in the Bay Area, try here first. Looks like people could be found playing here any time of the day. There is a large main room with people (usually a somewhat older crowd) playing Xiangqi, Weiqi, reading newspapers, etc. It's on one of Chinatown's main streets. Just walk by and look through the glass doors to see what's going on. :-) ] Xiangqi Association of America 153-A Waverly Pl San Francisco, CA 94108 Phone: 1 415 391-1236 [A Chinese fan in the USA reports that he got a very chilly reception when he visited this club, and doesn't recommend this place. We strongly suggest you try the other SF club first. According to XiangQi Review, this club is a gambling joint.] WASHINGTON, D.C. From: David Li It is with pleasure that I announce the formation of the Capital Chinese Chess Club (CCCC), in cooperation with the Chinese Cultural and Community Center (CCACC). The initial gathering of this club will be on Saturday, May 4, from 7 to 11 p.m., at the Tilden Middle School on Old Georgetown Road in Rockville MD, and will meet thereafter every Saturday evening during the scholastic year (roughly Labor Day to early June). CCCC welcomes all Chinese Chess enthusiasts to visit -- this is an open invitation; you may come any time any Saturday between 7 and 11 p.m. We have already gathered many veterans who plan to play; we also have a strong Vietnamese delegation who will join us regularly. Depending on interest, there will be lectures to beginners, the schedule for which has yet to be firmed up. Rockville is a suburb of Washington DC; the middle school is but a block away from a Beltway exit. CANADA CALGARY Calgary Chinese Chess Association 107A Ng Tower Center 115 - 2nd Ave SW Calgary, Alberta, CANADA T2P 3C6 FAX: 1 403 288-1897 Phone: 1 403 247-4808 EDMONTON Edmonton Chinese Chess Association 9645 - 101A Ave Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T5H 0Y1 FAX: 1 403 429-3383 Phone: 1 403 424-2850 MONTREAL Montreal Chinese Chess Association 8655 Forbin Janson Montreal, Quebec, CANADA H1K 2J8 FAX: 1 514 861-6223 Phone: 1 514 352-0288 TORONTO Toronto Xiangqi Association 4790 Creditview Rd Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA L5M 5M4 (416) 492-7581 FAX: 1 905 821-9947 Phone: 1 905 819-8263 VANCOUVER University of British Columbia Chinese Chess Club President: Raymond Chang Mailing address: 1896 - E. 33rd Ave. Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V5N 3E4 Fax: 1 604 327-9486 Phone: 1 604 327-9468 Internet: rchang@ee.ubc.ca Vancouver Chinese Chess Association 2/F, 21 E, Pender St Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6A 1S9 FAX: 1 604 646-7243 Phone: 1 604 682-2999 WINNIPEG Winnipeg Xiangqi Association 33 Surfside Crescent Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA R3X 1P2 FAX: 1 204 256-3892 Phone: 1 204 253-5325 EUROPE FINLAND "The Friends of Chinese Chess in Finland" [Kiinalaisen shakin ystavat Suomessa ry] President: Jouni Tolonen Toivoniementie 1 A 816 FIN-90500 Oulu Finland Phone: 358-81-3115456 Secretary: Raimo Lindroos Ahokuja 2 FIN-04430 Jarvenpaa Finland FAX: 358-0-287174 FRANCE Association De Xiangqi En France 3, Av De Choisy Paris, FRANCE 75013 Phone: 33-1-45-83-16-46 Fax: 33-1-45-84-1055 GERMANY German Xiangqi Association c/o Stefan Scholz Stormstrasse 11 14050 Berlin Germany Phone: 0049-30-742 16 33 Fax: 0049-30-742 16 33 e-mail: sirius@berlin.snafu.de ITALY Federazione Italiana Xiangqi Via Don Gnocchi 20/D, 20075 Lodi (Milano) ITALY FAX: 39 371 420-451 Phone: 39 371 430-282 NETHERLANDS Stichting Chinese Sport Federatie in Netherlands Oltmanstraat 20, NL-3842 ZX Harderwijk, HOLLAND FAX: 31 3410 20221 Phone: 31 3410 18909 UNITED KINGDOM United Kingdom Chinese Chess Association 12 Lagan House, Sumner Rd London SE15 5RB ENGLAND Phone: 44 81 693-4779 ASIA AUSTRALIA Australia Xiangqi Association Dept of Medicine, Level 5, Block 5 Monash Medical Centre Clayton Rd Clayton, VIC 3168 AUSTRALIA FAX: 61 3 563-2578 Phone: 61 3 364-9972 BRUNEI Brunei Chinese Chess Blk C, #3 Abd Razak Complex Gadong 3180 PO Box 946 Bandar Seri Begawan 1909 BRUNEI Darussalam FAX: 673 2 426-191 Phone: 673 2 424-307 CHINA, People's Republic Of Chinese Xiangqi Association No. 80 Tian Tan Dong Rd Beijing 100061 CHINA FAX: 86 10 711-5176 Phone: 86 10 711-1614 Shanghai Chess Association 4, Lane 591, Nanjing Road W Shanghai 200041 China Phone: 86-21-255-2341 HONG KONG Hong Kong Chinese Chess Association 249-253 Reclamation St Flat E/F, 4/F Wang Cheung Commercial Bldg Kowloon, HONG KONG FAX: 852 2 770-8072 Phone: 852 2 771-3751 INDONESIA Indonesia Chinese Chess Association Jl. Per Agalan I No. 35 Jakarta INDONESIA FAX: 62 21 354-235 Phone: 62 21 808-2443 JAPAN Japan Xiangqi Association 4-1-15 Shimoigusa, Suginami-ku Tokyo 167 JAPAN FAX: 81 3 371-67169 Phone: 81 3 390-44368 MACAU Associacao De Xadrez Chines De Macau Av. Do Almt. Lacerda 89A EDF. Luenfung No. 1 A MACAU FAX: 853 210-110 Phone: 853 210-110 MALAYSIA, EAST Sabah Chess Association Union PO Box 792 90008 Sandakan Sabah, EAST MALAYSIA FAX: 60 89 272-282 Phone: 60 89 272-277 MALAYSIA, WEST Malaysia Chinese Chess Association 11, Jalan Sultan, 5000 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA FAX: 60 3 238-9045 Phone: 60 3 238-1113 PHILIPPINES Philippines Federal Chess Enthusiast Assn 945 Gandara St., Room 219 Manila, PHILIPPINES FAX: 63 2 530-1170 Phone: 63 2 486-218 SINGAPORE Singapore Xiangqi General Association 51 Bishan St. 13 01-01 Singapore Republic of Singapore 579799 Phone: 65 2590984 Fax: 65 2590984 TAIWAN (Republic of China) Taipei Chinese Chess Association 2/F, 248 Yin Pin Bei Rd, 2nd Lane Taipei TAIWAN FAX: 886 2 557-4364 Phone: 886 2 553-3741 THAILAND Thailand Xiangqi Association 78 Soipantachit 2 Lanes, Mytricht Rd Bangkok, THAILAND 10100 FAX: 66 2 226-5732 Phone: 66 2 221-6204 VIETNAM The Chess Federation of Vietnam (Vietnam Xiangqi Sub-Association) 36 Tran Phu St. Hanoi, Vietnam FAX: 84 8 232-455 Phone: 84 8 232-471 "The National Xiangqi Organization of Vietnam." Viet-Nam Hochiminh City Dist. 5 Chess Assn 100/6B Hung-Vuong F.9.Q.5 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam FAX: 84 8 325-236 Phone: 84 8 350-003 20 Is there a Chinese chess version of the US Chess Federation? No. Organization of Chinese chess in the United States lags behind most other countries, including those in Europe. Also, Europe seems to enjoy a great deal of cooperation between Asian "experts" and western "novices," unlike the situation in the US. Chinese chess "organization" in the US is basically confined to Chinatown clubs, which are not usually as accessible as the tourist shops. A suggestion for future development would be to organize Chinese chess activities at regular chess or go clubs & then try to branch out on your own after a regular clientele has been established. Perhaps try to find a local Chinese chess expert who would agree to give a simul or lecture to drum up interest. 21 What are some of the top tournaments in the world? Here are most of the top Asian events, and the organization each is affiliated with: A. China Xiangqi Association 1. 5 Ram Cup Held in Guangzhou in December or January; entrance is limited to Chinese National Champions. Latest: 01/98. Current champion: Xu YinChuan 2. YinLi Cup Held in Guilin. Usually April, May or June. Latest: 4/98 Current champion: men: Xu YinChuan women: Shan XiaLi 3. Chinese National Team Championship Held first half of each year (usually April to June); Latest: 4/98 Current champion--men: Hebei women: Jiangsu 4. Chinese National Championship Held second half of each year (usually September to November); Latest: 10/97 Current champion: men: Hu RongHua Women: Wang LinNuo B. Asian Xiangqi Federation 1. Asian Cup [Team] Held every even-numbered year since 1980 (October to November usually). China has won the men's and women's trophies every time. Latest: 12/96 Current champion--men: China women: China 2. Asian Xiangqi Master Championships Held odd-numbered years, timing varies; most recently held in Brunei, 12/1997. Current champion: Men: Yu YouHua (China) Women: Huang Wei (China) C. World Xiangqi Federation 1. The World Cup The 5th World Cup was held November, 1997 in Hong Kong Cycle frequency: every 2 years? Current champion--men: Lu Qin (China) women: Lin Ye (Italy) team: China non-Chinese: Mai Thanh Minh (Vietnam) D. Other 1. Forshang Cup First Cup held September, 1997 in Las Vegas Current Champion: Lu Qin (China) All of the above listed tournaments are essentially "closed" events, meaning that unless you are invited, you cannot participate. CXA events are for mainland Chinese only. AXF events are for their 13 Asian member nations. The only tournament above that is open to "foreigners" is the World Cup, which is still by invitation only. Other Tournaments: JiaBao Cup [Team] (CXA) Match between Shanghai and Guangdong. Latest: 3rd/1995 at Guangzhou. Current champion--men: Guangdong women: Shanghai QiWang Title (CXA) [Chess King] Current champion: Lu Qin [defeated Li LaiQun 2/94] Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Triangular Match [Team] (AXF?) 12 matches of this annual event (since 1979) have been played (except for 3-year interruption due to Tiananmen incident). Guangdong has won every match. Current champion: Guangdong WangWei Tournament [CXA] Held June or August. 12 players from the top of the Chinese rating list. Current champion: Lu Qin (8/97) GuangYang Cup [DaQiSheng Tournament, "Great Xiangqi Saint"] November. The top 16 from the Chinese national rating list. Current Champion: Zhao GuoRong (11/95) WenBai Cup [CXA) May. The top 10 from the Chinese national rating list. Current champion: Lu Qin (5/95) ASIA Brunei Championship Current Champion: Chin Kok Liang (1994) East Malaysia Championship Current Champion: Kho Kei Kuan (1993) Macau Championship Current Champion: Chan Tin Man (1995) Philippines Championship Current Champion: Kung Kar Cheung (1995) Philippine Open Champion: Chong Heung Ming (1996) Singapore Championship Current Champion: Koh Sin (1995) Taiwan Championship Current Champion: Wu GuiLin (1994) Thailand Championship Current Champion: Xie Gai Zhou (1995) Vietnam Championship Current Champion: Mai Thanh Minh (1995) EUROPE European Championship Current champion: Hua Say Ty [France] (1997) Finnish Championship Current Champion: Nguyen The Nhan (1997) French Championship Current Champion: Dang Thanh Trung German Championship Current Champion: Michael Naegler (1998) Team Championship: Hamburg (1998) German Team Championship Current Champion: Hamburg (1998) Netherlands Championship Current Champion: Cheung Wing On (1995) Norwegian Championship Current Champion: Asle Olufsen (1997) United Kingdom Championship Current champion: Wang ShunQi (1995) CANADA Canadian Championship 6th (1996) Canadian Championship Team: Toronto Individual: Wang JingYuan (Calgary) Toronto Championship ICCS The current ICCS Team Champion is China (3/97) USA New York United East Athletics Association (UEAA) Individual Tournament Champion: Gao WeiXuan (4/98) AXF (Asian Xiangqi Federation) 13 Members: Brunei Philippines China Singapore East Malaysia Taiwan Hong Kong Thailand Indonesia Vietnam Japan West Malaysia Macao 22 Who are some of the strongest players around the world? Most of the strongest players live in China. Here are the Chinese National Ratings for the second half of 1996: *** MEN *** Xu YinChuan 2577 Lu Qin 2566 Zhao GuoRong 2524 Hu RongHua 2515 Xu TianHong 2466 Tao HanMing 2461 Liu DaHua 2458 Li LaiQun 2448 Bu FengBo 2442 Liu DianZhong 2436 INTERNATIONAL GRANDMASTERS The following players are International Grandmasters (Title bestowed by AXF): Hu RongHua Lu Qin Xu YinChuan Zhao GuoRong Liu DaHua Li LaiQun Xu TianHong Tao HanMing Lin JianZhi (Taiwan) Wu GuiLin (Taiwan) Ma ZhongWei (Taiwan) Chiu YuKuen (Hong Kong) Ifan Minarta (Indonesia) Mai Thanh Minh (Vietnam) CHINESE GRANDMASTERS (Title bestowed by CXA) Li YiTing (retired) Wang JiaLiang (mostly retired) Yang GuanLin (mostly retired) INTERNATIONAL MASTERS The following players are International Masters (incomplete): Chen Tin Men (Macau) Lee Kheng Soi (Singapore) Hui Chi Kwong (East Malaysia) Miao YongPeng (China) Wong Yung Fai (East Malaysia) ***** WOMEN ***** Hu Ming 2311 (Hebei star maintains huge rating lead) Wang LinNuo 2238 Huang Wei 2233 Guo LiPing 2230 Gang QiuYing 2230 Shan XiaLi 2229 Zhang GuoFeng 2225 Wu Xia 2222 Chen ShuLan 2210 Li DeLing 2198 The following players are International Grandmasters: CHINA Gao Hua Hu Ming Huang Wei Xie SiMing (retired) SINGAPORE Teo SimHua VIETNAM Le Thi Houng The following players are International Masters (incomplete): ?? OTHER COUNTRIES ASIA Australia Yan, Andrew Lu, George Liu BiJun (female star from China) Brunei Chin Kok Liang Bong Choon Mee Chieng Hie Kwong Hong Kong Chiu YuKuen Lai Robin Yung TakKeung Indonesia Ifan ChungMing [Minarta] Yang Xiang Xi Li Pi Jiang Wu XiuPing (female star) Japan Hattori Tsugumitsu Kano Kunihiro Shoshi Kazuharu Kumagai Yasuhiro Shintani Shinichi Shibazaki Junko (1995 Japan Ladies Champion) Malaysia, East Kho Kei Kuan Chieng Kuok Wu Chieng Ming Chuo (female star) Malaysia, West Li JiaQing Chen JieYu Singapore Lee KhengSoi Teo SimHua (female star) Koh Sin Chow Bon Tong Yang LongZhu (1995 Singapore Ladies Champion) Taiwan Ma Zhong Wei Wu GuiLin Liang JinYi Liu HongXiu (1995 Taiwan Ladies Champion) Thailand Ma WuLian Luo ZhuoYing Xie Gai Zhou Zheng Yong Ching Vietnam Mai Thanh Minh Truong A Minh Le Thi Huong (1995 Vietnam Ladies Champion) Vo Van Hoang Tung EUROPE England Guo ShuLong Wang ShunQi Lai C.K. Liu S.H. Leung K.W. Finland Roto, Matias Nguyen The Nhan France Dang Thanh Trung Woo Wei Cheung Hua Say Ty Germany Siewert, Hajo Naegler, Michael Schaefer, Norbert Huebner, Robert (GM of chess) Scholz, Stefan Huang ShueKong Pu MingGang Italy He ZhiMin Lin Ye Yu JianGuo Hu YongXi Hu YongSheng Netherlands Cheung Wing On Ng Wing Sang Hsu Akei Norway Xu JueMin Canada Huang YuYing Lee, John (also known as Li ZiHan) Wong, Steve Fung, Stephen Yuen, Elton Sung, Peter USA Lee, Michael (Also known as Li BiChi) (SF Bay Area) Yan DotSun (also known as Zhen DaXin) (San Francisco) Chen TanHua (New York) Gao WeiXuan (New York) (1995 ICCS Champion) Tom, Bang (New York) Tom, Jing (New York) Mou Hai Qin (New York) Yang, Frank (Los Angeles) So BingCham (Los Angeles) Shen Hao (Los Angeles) --------------------------------------------------------------------- End of FAQ