How did xiangqi reach Vietnam?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
Through long cultural contact with China — the game travelled with the same exchange that brought Chinese script, administration and literature to Vietnam. Cờ tướng is the same game with the same rules, and its piece names are the Sino-Vietnamese readings of the same characters.
The names
Tướng (將 general), Sĩ (士 advisor), Tượng (象 elephant), Mã (馬 horse), Xe (車 chariot), Pháo (砲 cannon), Tốt (卒 soldier). A Vietnamese player already has the vocabulary — these are not translations but the same words read in Vietnamese.
Vietnam today
Vietnam is one of the game's major homes. It has a national federation, a full competitive calendar, and park play in every city — the same informal culture found in China.
Related questions
Do Vietnamese rules differ?
Not in movement. Tournament regulations follow the organising federation, as everywhere.
Is cờ tướng a different game?
No, it is xiangqi. Only the language differs.
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