How do you count material in 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
You add up each side's pieces using rough point values, then compare the totals, the same method chess players use. A common scale runs chariot around 9, cannon and horse around 4 to 5, advisor and elephant around 2, and a soldier around 1 before crossing the river and 2 after, though the exact numbers vary a little between sources.
Why these numbers are only a guide
Unlike chess piece values, which stay fairly constant, several xiangqi values shift sharply as the game empties: a horse gains value as fewer pieces block its legs, while a cannon loses value as fewer pieces remain to serve as screens. A static count taken mid-game can mislead you about a coming endgame.
Material versus position
Counting material tells you who is ahead on paper, but xiangqi rewards activity and king safety heavily enough that a material lead with a badly placed defence can still lose. Use the count as one input, not the whole evaluation.
Related questions
Is a chariot worth two horses?
Roughly, yes, which is why trading a chariot for two minor pieces is usually judged close to fair, sometimes slightly favouring the side with two pieces for the coordination they offer later.
Do advisors and elephants have real fighting value?
Less than their point value suggests offensively, but they are worth much more than that defensively, which the simple count does not capture.
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