Each of these areas is known as 宮 gōng ⓘ, a palace.ĭividing the two opposing sides, between the fifth and sixth ranks, is 河 hé, the 'river'. The vertical lines are known as files ( Chinese: 路 pinyin: lù 'road'), and the horizontal lines are known as ranks ( Chinese: 線/綫 pinyin: xiàn 'line').Ĭentred at the first to third and eighth to tenth ranks of the board are two zones, each three points by three points, demarcated by two diagonal lines connecting opposite corners and intersecting at the centre point. As in the game Go ( 圍碁 or Wéi qí 圍棋), the pieces are placed on the intersections, which are known as points. Xiangqi is played on a board nine lines wide and ten lines long. Distinctive features of xiangqi include the cannon ( pao), which must jump to capture a rule prohibiting the generals from facing each other directly areas on the board called the river and palace, which restrict the movement of some pieces but enhance that of others and the placement of the pieces on the intersections of the board lines, rather than within the squares. The game represents a battle between two armies, with the primary object being to checkmate the enemy's general (king). Besides China and areas with significant ethnic Chinese communities, this game is also a popular pastime in Vietnam, where it is known as cờ tướng, literally 'General's chess'. Xiangqi is in the same family of games as shogi, janggi, Western chess, chaturanga, and Indian chess. It is the most popular board game in China. Xiangqi ( Chinese: 象棋 pinyin: xiàngqí Wade–Giles: Hsiang ch'i English: / ˈ ʃ ɑː ŋ tʃ i/), commonly known as Chinese chess or elephant chess, is a strategy board game for two players.

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All the names of chess pieces