How does the advisor move 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
One point diagonally, and never outside the palace. That leaves exactly five reachable points: the four corners of the palace and its centre. The advisor is the least mobile piece in the game and exists only to shield the general.
Why the drawn diagonals exist
The X marked inside each palace shows the advisor's moves and nothing else. The general does not use them. An advisor in a corner can only go to the centre; from the centre it can reach any corner.
The second advisor is worth more than the first
Two advisors hold endgames that one advisor loses outright — a lone chariot against a full defence is a standard draw, but usually wins once an advisor is gone. That asymmetry is why strong players happily give a soldier to remove one.
It also cuts the other way: an advisor on the wrong point removes your own general's escape square, which is exactly how 重炮 works.
Related questions
Can an advisor leave the palace?
Never, under any circumstances.
Can an advisor move orthogonally?
No. Diagonal only — the opposite of the general.
.