How do you record a xiangqi game?
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
Number the moves from one and write Red's move then Black's, exactly as in chess. Use one system throughout — either Chinese characters or WXF letters — and do not mix them. A recorded game looks like: 1. C2=5 H8+7 2. H2+3 R9=8, or 1. 炮二平五 馬8進7 2. 傌二進三 車9平8.
What to note besides moves
Players, date, event, time control and result, at the top. The result is written 1-0, 0-1 or ½-½ as in chess. If the game was adjudicated under the repetition laws, it is worth noting that too, because the reason matters when you review it.
Recording online
Every server stores your games automatically, which removes the main reason to write moves down by hand. What it does not remove is the reason to review them — and a stored game you never look at teaches nothing.
Related questions
Is there an equivalent of PGN?
Several formats exist for xiangqi game storage, and most tools can export move lists in WXF or Chinese notation.
Do I need to record games to improve?
You need to review them. Online play records them for you, which is enough.
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