How many moves does each xiangqi piece have?
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
On an empty board, from a central point: chariot and cannon 17 each (eight along the rank, nine along the file), horse 8, general 4, advisor 4, elephant 4, soldier 1 before the river and 3 after. Real positions cut most of these numbers sharply.
Why the real numbers are lower
The horse loses two moves per blocked leg and is frequently down to three or four. The elephant is capped at seven reachable points for the whole game and often has two moves. The advisor has five points ever, and from a corner exactly one.
Only the chariot reliably keeps its mobility, which is most of why it is worth double a horse.
Mobility is not value
The advisor has four moves and decides endgames. A soldier has one move and is a mating piece once it reaches the palace. Count what a piece covers, not how many squares it could go to.
Related questions
Why do the chariot and cannon have the same count?
They move identically. Only their capture rules differ.
What is the horse's maximum?
Eight, with all four legs clear — which is uncommon outside the endgame.
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