---
title: "How to Follow a Xiangqi Game Record · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Set up a board and play through it. Red's moves use Chinese numerals and Black's use Arabic, which tells you whose move you are reading."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-read-a-xiangqi-game-record
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How do I follow a xiangqi game record?

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
>
> **Set up a board and play it through** — game records are not designed to be read in the head. In Chinese records, Red's file numbers use **Chinese numerals** (一二三) and Black's use **Arabic** (1 2 3), which tells you at a glance whose move you are on.

## The one thing that trips people up

Each side counts files from its own right, so the same physical file is 2 for Red and 8 for Black. The two numbers always sum to ten. Software converts for you; with a book and a board, it is a habit to build over a few games.

## Captures and checks are not marked

There is no `x` and no `+` for check — `+` already means "advance". A record simply lists destinations and stops, with the result at the end. Following it on a board is therefore not optional.

## Related questions

Can software replay records?

Yes, and most tools accept both Chinese and WXF notation.

Where do I find master games?

Chinese-language databases and league archives hold the bulk of them.

## Related xiangqi resources

Reading notation

炮二平五 and C2=5 — the same move, two ways

Analyse your games

Take any position apart with engine support

Xiangqi questions answered

Every question on this site, in one index

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.