--- title: "What Does 將軍 Mean in Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master" description: "將軍 means check — literally 'general' as a verb, announcing an attack on the opposing general. Announcing it is optional." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-does-jiangjun-mean updated: 2026-09-22 source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com) license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- # 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". ## Related xiangqi resources Xiangqi glossary Every term, with the Chinese and the WXF spelling Check and checkmate Including why stalemate is a loss Chess in Chinese The words for the game and every piece ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.