What does 將軍 (jiangjun) mean 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
將軍 (jiāngjūn) is the Chinese for check. It is the ordinary word for a military general used as a call, and park players say it loudly when giving check. Announcing it is entirely optional and is not done in tournament play — noticing check is the other player's responsibility.
Related terms
- 將死 (jiāngsǐ) — checkmate.
- 長將 (chángjiāng) — perpetual check, which is a loss for the player giving it.
- 照將 — another word for giving check, common in older texts.
- 白臉將 — the flying general rule.
A note on the word
將 is also the character on Black's general. Red's is 帥, marshal. Both are read differently but mean essentially the same rank, and the word for check uses 將 regardless of which side is giving it.
Related questions
Do I have to say it?
No. It is optional everywhere and avoided in serious play.
What is checkmate called?
將死, literally "check to death".
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