Why is xiangqi called 'elephant chess'?
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
Because 象 means elephant and 棋 means board game. But the etymology is not settled: one serious proposal is that the original character was 像, meaning figure or image — so "the game of figures" rather than "the game of elephants". Both readings have supporters.
The case for elephants
The piece set includes an elephant (象/相), and the related Indian games have an elephant piece too. The four-part army of chariots, elephants, cavalry and infantry is visible across the whole family, which makes an elephant-based name unremarkable.
The case for figures
象 and 像 are closely related characters, and "game of figures" fits a game played with representational pieces. Early textual evidence is ambiguous, and it is worth being clear that this is an open question rather than a settled fact presented as one.
Related questions
Is the elephant piece important?
Defensively yes, offensively very little — it can never cross the river, so it only captures enemy pieces that come into its own half.
What is it called in other languages?
Cờ tướng in Vietnamese, シャンチー in Japanese, 장기 for the related Korean game.
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