How do I keep my own scoresheet while playing xiangqi?
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
Write each move down in WXF notation as it is played, numbered by move pair the way a game record is normally printed: Red's move, then Black's, then the next number. Doing this in real time, rather than trying to reconstruct it afterward, is the only reliable way to get an accurate record.
What actually slows people down at first
Working out which piece moved and identifying it correctly (there can be two horses or two soldiers eligible for the same notated move) takes a little practice, so expect to write slowly for your first several games. It gets fast once the piece symbols and file numbers stop requiring conscious thought.
Why bother when software can record it for you
Online platforms do log moves automatically, but writing your own scoresheet in an over-the-board game is often required in formal events and, separately, forces you to actually track the position rather than just react to what is in front of you. It is a habit that pays off directly in reviewing your games afterward.
Related questions
Is a printed scoresheet form necessary?
Helpful but not essential, plain lined paper with your own move numbering works fine for casual and even many formal games.
What if I lose track of the move number mid-game?
Pause and reconstruct it from the position rather than guessing, or ask the arbiter in a formal event; a wrong move number breaks the whole record from that point on.
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