Questions about the pieces

子 How does the horse move in xiangqi?The horse moves one point orthogonally then one diagonally outward, and is blocked by any piece on that first orthogonal point. 子 How does the cannon move in xiangqi?The cannon moves like a chariot along clear lines, but captures only by jumping exactly one piece of either colour. 子 How does the chariot move in xiangqi?The chariot moves any number of points along a clear rank or file and captures the first enemy piece it meets — identical to a chess rook. 子 How does the elephant move in xiangqi?The elephant moves exactly two points diagonally, is blocked at the midpoint, and can never cross the river — seven points in total. 子 How does the advisor move in xiangqi?The advisor moves one point diagonally and never leaves the palace, so it can only ever reach five points. 子 How does the general move in xiangqi?The general moves one point orthogonally inside its palace, never diagonally and never outside those nine points. 子 How does the soldier move in xiangqi?A soldier moves one point forward. After crossing the river it may also move sideways, but never backwards, and there is no promotion. 子 Which is the strongest piece in xiangqi?The chariot, by a wide margin. It is worth roughly two horses, and controlling an open file with one decides many games. 子 Why does each side have only five soldiers?Five soldiers stand on alternating files with gaps between them. The gaps are what give the cannons open lines from the very first move. 子 Can a horse get trapped in xiangqi?Yes. Because the horse can be blocked on every leg, a horse on the edge or surrounded by pieces can end up with no legal moves at all. 子 What is the weakest piece in xiangqi?The advisor, on mobility — five points, never leaving the palace. But in the endgame it is worth far more than its five points suggest. 子 Can a cannon be blocked in xiangqi?Yes, in two opposite ways: block its movement with any piece on a clear line, or neutralise its capture by adding a second screen or removing the first. 子 How many moves does each xiangqi piece have?On an empty board: chariot 17, cannon 17, horse 8, soldier 1–3, general 4, advisor 4, elephant 4 — with heavy real-world restrictions. 子 Why do red and black use different characters in xiangqi?Six of the seven piece types are written differently by each side. The characters are homophones chosen so the two armies can be told apart instantly. 子 What is the horse's leg in xiangqi?The horse's leg is the orthogonal point it steps through. Any piece there blocks the move entirely — the horse never jumps. 子 What is the elephant's eye in xiangqi?The elephant's eye is the midpoint of its two-step diagonal. A piece there blocks the move, the same way a horse's leg is blocked. 子 Is the xiangqi elephant like a chess bishop?No. The elephant moves exactly two points, can be blocked at the midpoint, and never crosses the river, so it is far weaker than a bishop. 子 Is there anything like the cannon in western chess?No. No standard chess piece captures by jumping a screen, which is why the cannon is the piece that most defines xiangqi. 子 Why is the horse worth less than the cannon at the start?In the opening the cannon is worth slightly more because the board is full of screens. By the endgame the horse is worth more, for the same reason reversed. 子 Can the general defend other pieces in xiangqi?Yes, on the adjacent points inside its palace. A soldier defended by the general is genuinely protected, which matters in endgames. 子 What is a crossed soldier worth in xiangqi?About double an uncrossed one — roughly 2 against 1 — because crossing the river adds sideways movement. 子 Why do horses come out before chariots in xiangqi?A horse can move on the first move; a chariot needs a file opened first. Developing a horse is usually what opens that file. 子 Can pieces be pinned in xiangqi?Yes, and the strongest pin in the game has no chess equivalent: a piece alone between the two generals cannot move at all. 子 What is each piece's job in the opening?Cannons take lines, horses defend the centre and open files, chariots occupy those files, and advisors and elephants stay home. 子 How do a horse and cannon work together in xiangqi?The horse screens for the cannon and covers escape points the cannon cannot. Together they produce 馬後炮, the most common mate in the game. 子 Which xiangqi pieces get stronger as the game goes on?Horses and crossed soldiers gain as the board empties. Cannons lose value, because their screens disappear with every trade. 子 Can two cannons be on the same file in xiangqi?Yes, and it is a standard attacking formation. The front cannon becomes the screen the rear one needs, producing the 重炮 mate. 子 What is a battery in xiangqi?A battery is two pieces lined up on the same file or rank so one supports or fires through the other — typically two cannons, or a cannon behind a horse. 子 How do I remember which xiangqi piece is which?Learn them by starting position first and by character shape second. Three pieces do most of the work, so learn those three properly. 子 Can your own general take part in an attack?Yes. Through the flying general rule your general controls the file it stands on, taking escape points away from the enemy general for free. 子 Why does my horse never do anything?Usually its legs are blocked, it is on an edge file, or it is too far from the action. A horse needs three or four moves to matter. 子 Which pieces defend the palace in xiangqi?Advisors and elephants, and they do nothing else. Advisors stop cannons and chariots; elephants stop horses and soldiers. 子 How many points can a chariot attack at once in xiangqi?Up to seventeen from a central point on an empty board, along its rank and file combined, though only one capture happens per move. 子 Can an elephant ever help in an attack in xiangqi?Not directly, since it can never cross the river. Its only attacking contribution is indirect: removing itself as a screen for an enemy cannon, or vacating a point for another piece. 子 Why does the advisor only move diagonally in xiangqi?It is simply the piece's defined movement, matching the diagonal lines drawn across the palace, and it is what limits the advisor to exactly five points. 子 Can a soldier defend another soldier in xiangqi?Only sideways, and only after crossing the river. Soldiers never capture diagonally, so an uncrossed soldier cannot defend the one in front of it. 子 What happens to a captured piece in xiangqi?It leaves the board permanently and takes no further part in the game. Xiangqi has no drop rule, unlike shogi, so material only ever decreases. 子 Is the cannon better used attacking or defending in xiangqi?Attacking. A cannon threatens from a distance and gains from the opponent's own pieces as screens, while defensively it contributes less than an advisor or elephant. 子 How do you bring a slow piece into the game faster in xiangqi?Open the line it needs before you need the piece. Chariots want a clear file, horses want a cleared leg, and both should be planned a move or two ahead. 子 Can the general ever actually be captured in xiangqi?In practice, no. The game ends at checkmate, before a position where the general could be taken is ever allowed to be reached. 子 Why does xiangqi have two of most pieces but only one general?Every piece type except the general and the five soldiers comes in a symmetric pair, one for each side of the board, while the general is the single point everything defends. 子 What is the difference between a chariot and a cannon in xiangqi?Both move the same way along clear lines, but only the chariot captures that way too. The cannon needs exactly one screen to capture and is worth roughly half as much.