---
title: "Why Xiangqi Files Are Counted From the Right · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Each player numbers files from their own right, so the same physical file has two numbers. It keeps every move written from the mover's perspective."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/why-does-notation-count-files-from-the-right
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Why does xiangqi notation count files from the right?

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
>
> Because every move is written **from the perspective of the player making it**. Each side counts files **from its own right**, so a physical file is file 2 for Red and file 8 for Black. It looks confusing written down and is completely natural at the board, because you only ever number from where you are sitting.

## The consequence to watch for

Red's file numbers and Black's always sum to ten. If you are reading a game record and a Black move mentions file 3, that is Red's file 7. Software handles this for you; reading a book, it is a habit to build.

## Chinese numerals for Red

By convention Red's moves use Chinese numerals 一二三四五六七八九 and Black's use Arabic 1–9. That is a visual aid — you can tell at a glance whose move you are reading — and it is why a game record looks like two different systems interleaved.

## Related questions

Do both sides use the same numerals in WXF?

Yes, WXF uses Arabic numerals for both, relying on move order to distinguish sides.

Is the central file always five?

Yes, for both sides — it is the middle of nine, so it numbers the same from either direction.

## Related xiangqi resources

Reading notation

炮二平五 and C2=5 — the same move, two ways

Board setup

The board, the river, the palace, and where the 32 pieces go

Xiangqi glossary

Every term, with the Chinese and the WXF spelling

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.