Do red and black use the same file numbers in xiangqi notation?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.
Direct answer
No. Each player numbers the nine files from one to nine, counted from their own right side, so the same physical file on the board carries a different number depending on whose move is being recorded. Red's file one and black's file one sit on opposite sides of the board, not the same column.
Why notation is built this way
Numbering from your own perspective mirrors how each player actually experiences the board, sitting across from their opponent with their own right always meaning the same relative direction. It also matches the WXF letter-based system, where each side's files are labelled independently of the other's.
What this means for reading a game score
You always know whose numbering applies from the move itself, since red and black moves are recorded in alternating order and the piece character or context tells you which side is moving. It only becomes confusing if you try to map both sides' file numbers onto a single fixed coordinate without tracking whose move it is.
Related questions
Does this differ between Chinese and WXF notation?
No, both systems number files from each player's own right; the difference between them is in the symbols used, not the numbering direction.
Is there a notation system that uses one fixed numbering for both sides?
Yes, coordinate-based systems like ICCS or FEN use a single fixed grid rather than per-player file numbers.
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