How do you tell the xiangqi pieces apart?
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
Every piece is the same flat disc; only the character differs. That is the one genuine obstacle for a new player, and the way through it is position rather than literacy: at the start, each piece type sits in a fixed place, and you learn the seven shapes by where they began.
The seven characters, by shape
- 車 / 俥 chariot — a boxy character with a vertical stroke through it. Corners.
- 馬 / 傌 horse — four short legs along the bottom. Next to the corners.
- 象 / 相 elephant — the tallest, busiest character. Two in from the corners.
- 士 / 仕 advisor — small and simple, a cross on a line. Beside the general.
- 將 / 帥 general — centre of the back rank, alone in the palace.
- 砲 / 炮 cannon — contains the fire radical 火 on the red side. Two ranks up.
- 卒 / 兵 soldier — five of them, spread along the rank before the river.
If you would rather not learn them
Most digital boards, including this site's, offer western letters or piece symbols instead. That is a reasonable way to start, but the characters are worth ten minutes eventually: every physical set, every book and every recorded game uses them.
Related questions
Why do red and black use different characters?
Six of the seven differ between the sides (帥/將, 仕/士, 相/象, 傌/馬, 俥/車, 炮/砲). They are pronounced the same and move the same; it is a convention for telling sides apart.
Are the pieces different sizes?
In better sets, yes — the general is usually largest and soldiers smallest — but this is decoration, not a rule.
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