---
title: "What Does 士象全 (Full Advisors and Elephants) Mean?"
description: "士象全 means a side still has both advisors and both elephants. It is the standard reference point in endgame theory for how hard a king is to mate."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-does-shi-xiang-quan-mean
updated: 2026-09-29
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# What does 士象全 (full advisors and elephants) mean?

These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.

> Direct answer
>
> **士象全** means a side still has **both advisors and both elephants**, its complete palace defence. English books often call it a **full defence**. The phrase matters because endgame results are stated against it: an attacking force that wins against a bare general may only draw against a full defence.

## Why it is the reference point

Advisors and elephants cannot attack, so they never show up as a threat, but they block the lines and points an attacker needs. With all four present, the general's palace is hard to break into, and pieces that would win easily against a bare general often cannot. The classic example: a single chariot against a full defence is generally a draw with correct defence, even though a chariot beats a bare general easily. [Chariot endgames](https://xiangqimaster.com/endgames/chariot-endgames) covers it.

## Missing pieces and what they invite

Endgame descriptions also name which defenders are missing: missing an advisor, missing an elephant, or the advisors alone. The loss is not equal. Advisors guard the palace points themselves, so without them the general is exposed to chariot and horse checks. Elephants guard the approaches, and without them the cannon, which needs screens and open lines near the palace, becomes more dangerous. See [losing an elephant vs losing an advisor](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-does-losing-an-elephant-differ-from-losing-an-advisor).

## Using it in your own games

When you trade into an endgame, count the opponent's defenders as well as the attackers. Winning a soldier while the opponent keeps 士象全 may lead to a draw; giving up a soldier to break an elephant may win. [Advisors and elephants](https://xiangqimaster.com/endgames/advisors-and-elephants) explains the defensive geometry.

## Related questions

How is it pronounced?

*shì xiàng quán*: advisor, elephant, complete.

Does a full defence make any endgame a draw?

No. Enough attacking material still wins; the phrase just marks where the line between win and draw is usually drawn in endgame books.

## Related xiangqi resources

Advisors and elephants

The defence that decides most endgames

Chariot endgames

The most common endgame of all

Xiangqi endgames

What beats what, and why

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