rec.games.chinese-chess Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Stephen Leary
This posting is intended to address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
about the game of Chinese chess (otherwise known as "xiangqi" or
"elephant game" or "co tuong"). Corrections, additions, suggestions, etc.,
should be sent to Stephen Leary at al...@yfn.ysu.edu.
Posting Frequency: every two weeks
Last Update: January 3, 1994
New since last posting:
Not much.
INDEX of Questions:
What is Chinese Chess?
What does the board look like?
What are the pieces & how do they move?
What are the rules of the game?
What are the values of the pieces?
What kind of notation is used?
What are some common opening moves?
Are there any proverbs for this game?
Are there any basic guidelines for handicap play?
Can you recommend a few good books?
Can you recommend some magazines?
Where can I buy books?
Where can I buy sets?
Is there any software available?
Are there any clubs where I can find opponents?
Can I play opponents by using my computer?
Is there a Chinese chess version of the United States Chess Federation?
Who are some of the strongest players around the world?
What is Chinese Chess?
Chinese chess is a chess-like game which is especially popular in the
Far East: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, etc.
The strongest players and tournaments can be found in these countries.
As would be expected, most of the materials published on Chinese chess
are written in the languages of this region: most notably, Chinese and
Vietnamese. As Asians continue to immigrate to Europe and North
America, the level of Chinese chess skill on these continents can be
expected to improve and more materials should become available in
western languages, such as English, French, and German. Also, more
westerners should be expected to become interested in the game and
improve their level of expertise.
Chinese chess is NOT any of the following games: shogi, Japanese chess,
go, wei chi, weiqi, Chinese checkers, western chess, Korean chess,
Thai chess, makrook, Malaysian chess, mah jong, sic bo, pai gow.
What does the board look like?
It looks like this (along with the starting position of the pieces):
r---n---m---g---k---g---m---n---r 9
| | | | \ | / | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 8
| | | | / | \ | | | |
+---c---+---+---+---+---+---c---+ 7
| | | | | | | | |
p---+---p---+---p---+---p---+---p 6
| | | | | | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 5
| R I V E R |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 4
| | | | | | | | |
P---+---P---+---P---+---P---+---P 3
| | | | | | | | |
+---C---+---+---+---+---+---C---+ 2
| | | | \ | / | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 1
| | | | / | \ | | | |
R---N---M---G---K---G---M---N---R 0
A B C D E F G H I
What are the pieces and how do they move?
Each side has the following pieces:
2 Rooks (R) (or chariots)
2 Knights (N) (or horses)
2 Ministers (M) (or bishops or elephants)
2 Guards (G) (or assistants or counselors)
1 King (K) (or generals)
2 Cannons (C) (or catapults)
5 Pawns (P) (or soldiers)
ROOKS
The rooks move and capture as in chess
........k........9
KNIGHTS .................8
The knights move and capture as in chess, with .................7
one important difference: they can be blocked. .................6
Example: if a knight sits on c2 and another piece .................5
(either your own or the opponent's) sits on c3, . river .
the knight cannot move to d4 or b4; but it could .................4
move to b0 or d0 or a1 or e1 or e3. If a knight ....R............3
sits on c2 and another piece is on d2, then it ....N.c..........2
cannot move to e1 or e3. ..............C..1
........K...M....0
a b c d e f g h i
MINISTERS
The ministers can move exactly two diagonal spaces at a time. They cannot
cross the river (see River below) to the other side of the board. It
captures on the square to which he is moving. A minister on g0 can move
to e2 or i2. If an opposing piece sits on e2, he can capture it.
If his own piece sits on e2, he cannot move there. If he sits on g0 and
another piece sits on h1, he cannot move to i2 because he is blocked.
GUARDS
The guards can move only 1 space diagonally, and cannot leave the
palace (see Palace below). They capture the same way they move.
KING
The king moves as in chess, only he cannot move diagonally, only 1
square vertically or horizontally. The king must remain in the palace.
There is no castling as in chess.
CANNONS
Cannons move like rooks, as many squares vertically or horizontally as
they want, as long as there is no other piece in the way. However,
cannons capture by jumping over a piece to capture another piece.
Example: a cannon sits on e1; a knight sits on f1 (the piece can belong
to either side); and an opposing rook sits on h1. The cannon could
capture the rook by jumping over the knight. It can only capture by
jumping, and can jump over only one piece. If there were two pieces
between the cannon and the rook, then the rook could not be captured
by that cannon. The cannon cannot jump if it isn't going to capture
something, it must simply move like a rook.
PAWNS
Pawns move 1 square forward (never two, as is possible on the first
move in chess). While the pawn is on its own side of the board, it
captures by moving 1 square forward and taking an opposing piece that
may be sitting there (the pawns don't capture diagonally as in chess).
Once a pawn moves across the river onto the other side of the board,
it acquires an additional power: it can then move 1 square sideways
in addition to being able to move 1 square forward. On the other side
of the board, the pawn could then capture by moving sideways or forward.
The pawn can never move backward. The pawn does not promote when it
reaches the back rank of the opponent--it can then just move sideways.
PALACE
The king and guards cannot leave the palace (except the guards who leave
when they are captured :-) ). If we call the king's starting point
e0, then the palace is defined as these 9 points: d0, e0, f0, d1, e1, f1,
d2, e2, f2.
RIVER
The river is nothing more than an empty space in the middle of the
board dividing the two sides. A piece cannot move into the river--no one
can sit in the river because he would drown. It doesn't count as a space.
The word "river" is not printed on most sets; usually there are some
Chinese characters printed on it. The minister and guard are considered
purely defensive pieces because they cannot cross the river and attack
the opposing king. Once a piece crosses the river, it becomes more
important for attack than defense.
INTERSECTIONS
The pieces move on the intersections of the board, not in the spaces
between them, as in chess.
COLORS
In chess, the player who moves first has the "white" pieces. In Chinese
chess, the player who moves first moves red pieces. The second player's
pieces are usually black or sometimes green or blue.
What are the rules of the game?
Here are some rules to remember:
a) the object of the game is to checkmate or stalemate the opponent.
This is accomplished by:
1. Placing the opponent in check so that he has no legal move
to get out of the check.
2. Stalemating your opponent so that he has no legal move (when you
stalemate your opponent, you win--it is not a draw as in chess).
b) Red usually moves first.
c) You cannot check your opponent indefinitely by moving the same
piece to the same squares (resulting in perpetual check and a draw
in chess). You cannot put the opponent in check more than 3 times
in a row with the same piece without either side moving any other
piece.
d) Similar to the rule above, you cannot indefinitely "chase" an
opposing piece from one square to another if your opponent has no
other way to avoid losing the piece. If you move a rook to e5
threatening a cannon on e6, and your opponent's only move to avoid
capture is to move the cannon to f6, then you cannot keep chasing it
from e6 to f6 by moving from e5 to f5 indefinitely. The idea of
this rule and the rule above is to avoid perpetual check draws.
Some of these situations can be complicated but usually the person
who is initiating the perpetual move loop must break it off.
e) The two kings cannot face each other on the same file. If red's
king is on e1 and black's king is on e9 and there are no pieces
directly between them on the e-file, then that is an illegal
position. If black's king is the only piece on the f-file, then red's
king on the e-file cannot move to the f file.
f) When neither side can checkmate or stalemate the opposing king,
the game is a draw.
What are the values of the pieces?
Here are some rough values, which of course, can change depending on
the game situation or how skillful a particular player is in maneuvering
a particular piece (these values are recognized by Mainland authorities
& are generally sound for all stages of the game):
Rook 9
Cannon 4.5
Knight 4
Minister 2
Guard 2
Pawn 2 (after crossing river)
Pawn 1 (before crossing river)
What kind of notation is used?
It seems every writer or organization uses different notation. We are
generally following ICCS notation in the FAQ for compatibility:
the rows are A to I from left to right (from red's viewpoint), and
the files are number 0-9 from bottom of the board to the top.
What are some common opening moves?
The Central Cannon is the most popular. Red moves Ch2-e2. Black usually
replies with Ch7-e7 or Nh9-g7 or Nb9-c7.
The Minister's (or Bishop's) opening was popularized by Hu RongHua.
The starting move is Mg0-e2.
Other starting moves are Pc3-1 or Pg3-1 or Nh0-g2.
Are there any proverbs for this game?
Most Chinese chess proverbs are slight "exaggerations" of the truth:
* When my opponent's cannon moves to the middle, my knight jumps up
front. (For the most common opening.)
* If a rook is not moved within the first 3 moves, it is dead.
* A pawn is as powerful as a rook after it crosses the river.
* An old pawn is as good as none ("old" when on opponent's back rank)
Are there any basic guidelines for handicap play?
Rook Odds
The side giving odds as red plays without the left rook. There are 3
"iron" pieces. Red's leftmost pawn, left knight and left cannon can't
be captured unless they've moved.
2 Knights Odds
Red plays without his knights. "Iron" center pawn. Red's center pawn can
be captured only by check & only by the piece giving check.
Knight and Move(s) Odds
The side giving odd plays black and without his left knight; red makes
1 or more moves before black replies (possible red moves--see Moves Odds).
1 Knight Odds
Red plays without his left knight.
4 Plus Moves Odds
The side receiving odds plays red & makes 4 or more moves before black
moves. No pieces except pawns can be moved to the player's own river
edge for these 4 (or more) moves.
3 Moves Odds
The side receiving odds as red makes 3 moves before black replies.
About equal to 1 knight odds. No pieces are allowed to cross the river
during these 3 initial moves.
2 Moves Odds
Side receiving odds as red makes 2 moves.
1 Move Odds
The side receiving odds plays red.
Less Than 1 Move Odds
Half-move odds would be playing 2 games as red & 1 as black.
Agree to the conditions before play begins to avoid disputes.
Giving cannon odds is rare & much harder than giving knight odds.
Can you recommend a few good books?
There are really only 2 books in English that are widely available:
1. Chinese Chess by H.T. Lau.
Basic rules, opening, middle and endgame play. Many exercises.
Material needed to win or draw various endings. Descriptions of
popular opening variations.
2. Chinese Chess for Beginners by Sam Sloan.
English-speaking Chinese chess fans needed a book like this;
unfortunately, Sloan wrote it. Filled with exaggerations & misleading
statements. An alleged "entertaining" writing style that some might
call inept or juvenile. Still, some useful information. The
revised edition contains a few new things & not many corrections.
"You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."
Other books in English you might find in a library or old book store:
3. Hsiang Ch'i: The Chinese Game of Chess by Terence Donnelly.
4. A Manual of Chinese Chess by Charles Wilkes.
5. The Chess of China by Dennis Leventhal. (A good read, if you find it.)
6. Shang Chi--The Chinese Chess by Chen-Chih Sun.
David Wurman has written two well-regarded books in German:
1. Chinesisches Schach/Koreanisches Schach. 1991. 350 pages.
Price: DM 48 (about $32)
2. Chinesisches Schach Leicht Gemacht! Regeln. Tricks und Taktik.
1993. 192 pages. Price: DM 14.90 (about $9.25)
These books may be ordered from Wurman at this address:
David Wurman
PO Box 101023
D-35340 Giessen
Germany
Can you recommend some magazines?
1. XiangQi Review is the best English language publication. It is
published 6 times a year, usually 20 pages. $10/year in US, or
$15/year overseas. Address is:
Chinese Chess Institute
PO Box 5305
Hercules, CA 94547-5305
2. Chinese Chess Newsletter. Published from England, so focuses on
Europe. The "usual" subscription rate is 10 pounds a year. Not much
on production quality but contains useful news.
C.K. Lai
12 Lagan House
Sumner Rd
London SE15 5RB England
3. Chinese Chess News/Korean Chess. The copy I have is one 8 1/2 by 11
sheet of paper, typewritten on both sides. Some news and addresses
for Chinese chess and information on Korean chess.
David Rockwell
8514 Trumbull Ave
Skokie, IL 60076-2440
Or, if writing from Europe:
Malcolm Horne
10B Windsor Square
Exmouth, Devon
EX8 1JU England
4. Xiangqi Mi Tong Po. In Italian. Supposedly a slick production
with a professional look to it.
Agostino Guberti
Via Don Gnocchi 20/D
20075 Lodi (Milano), Italy
Where can I buy books?
Chinese Chess for Beginners is published by:
Ishi Press International
76 Bonaventure Dr
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 944-9900
They may also sell Chinese Chess by H.T. Lau. Otherwise, this book
is published by:
Charles E. Tuttle Co.
PO Box 410
28 S. Main St.
Rutland, VT 05702
800/526-2778
The Chinese Chess Institute sells some books written in Chinese. A
translation guide is provided. A new title is a text devoted to the
games of Lu Qin ($10). They are also working on some things in English
for beginners. See address for XiangQi Review above.
Where can I buy Sets?
From Ishi Press (mentioned above) or The Game Place (mentioned below)
or at your nearest Chinatown if you live near a large city, or from
Chinese or Vietnamese grocery & gift shops in smaller cities.
Is there any software available?
The best software program is Chinese Chessmaster III. But this program
is difficult to obtain in North America. There are 3 programs for DOS:
Uncle Wang, XIAN, and Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess.
Uncle Wang
Imperial Dragon Software
PO Box 4446
Tumwater, WA 98501
(Imperial Dragon claims that Uncle Wang consistently beats XIAN.)
XIAN
Leong Jacobs, Inc.
2729 Lury Lane
Annapolis, MD 21401
$39.95 + $2 shipping
A windows version of XIAN is available from:
TSoft
PO Box 3642
Odessa, TX 79760
(915) 366-2168
Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess (the weakest commercial program)
InterPlay Productions
3710 S. Susan, Ste. 100
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 545-9001
$49.95
(Exciting graphics)
For the Macintosh, there is a new shareware program written by Tie Zeng
available on the Internet by ftp. Ftp to: mac.archive.umich.edu.
The program is in the path: /mac/game/board and is called
chinesechesspro1.01.cpt.hqx
There are two shareware DOS Chinese chess program available on the
Internet. Both are available via anonymous ftp at chess.uoknor.edu.
The stronger program is currently in the path:
/pub/chess/uploads/DOS/cch.zip. Type "play" to start. Unfortunately,
this program seems to freeze the computer after exiting from the
program. The other, weaker, program is in the path:
/pub/chess/DOS/chinechs.exe.
Are there any clubs where I can find opponents?
Los Angeles Area:
Chinese Chess Association of Los Angeles
539 E. Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
San Francisco Area:
Chinese Chess Association
153-A Waverly Pl
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 391-1236
New York City Area:
The Chinese Chess Confederation is apparently no longer at their
Bowery Street location. Try writing them at:
PO Box 1079, G.P.O.
Brooklyn, NY
Toronto:
Toronto Chinese Chess Association
32 Scott Dr.
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4C3
(416) 492-7581
Can I play opponents by using my computer?
You can play real time games on the Internet Chinese Chess Server (ICCS).
Telnet to: coolidge.harvard.edu 5555 or 128.103.28.15 5555
Login with a name & choose a short password. Type "help"
or "help intro" if you're new. An x-windows based client is
available via anonymous ftp from ifcss.org. It is in the path:
/software/x-win/games. Read the file xicch.readme.
You may also play real time Chinese chess on the Internet Go Server at
hellspark.wharton.upenn.edu 6969. You will probably have to use the
"shout" command to find players since most will be playing go. Do not
expect to play Chinese chess without difficulty here for the time being.
Is there a Chinese chess version of the United States Chess Federation?
No. Organization of Chinese chess in the United States lags behind
most other countries, including those in Europe. Also, Europe seems
to enjoy a great deal of cooperation between Asian "experts" and
western "novices," unlike the situation in the US. Chinese chess
"organization" in the US is basically confined to Chinatown clubs,
which are not usually as accessible as the tourist shops. A suggestion
for future development would be to organize Chinese chess activities at
regular chess or go clubs & then try to branch out on your own after a
regular clientele has been established. Perhaps try to find a local
Chinese chess expert who would agree to give a simul or lecture to
drum up interest.
Around 1990, there was an organization called the Vietnamese-American
Chess Association based in Virginia. They planned to publish some
books on the game in English; however, apparently nothing was
produced and recent attempts to contact this organization have failed,
so they must be considered defunct at this time.
Who are some of the strongest players around the world?
Most of the strongest players live in China. Here are the Chinese
National Ratings for the first half of 1993:
MEN:
Lu Qin 2556 (Has won 5 Ram Cup 5 years in a row)
Zhao GuoRong 2534 (Two-time Chinese National Champion--1990 & 1992)
Hu RongHua 2524 (Greatest player in Chinese chess history?)
Li LaiQun 2510 (Current holder of QiWang [Chess King] title)
Xu TianHong 2502 (Won Third World Cup in Beijing in April)
Liu DaHua 2468 (Won Chinese National title in 1980 & 1981)
Yu YouHua 2460 (Feared attacker)
Lin HongMin 2451 (Strongest Shanghai player after Hu Rong Hua)
Xu YinChuan 2437 (18-year-old just won 1993 Chinese National title)
WOMEN:
Xie Siming 2418 (Inactive)
Hu Ming 2345 (Has won women's title 3 years in a row)
Shan XiaLi 2324
Huang YuYing 2285 (Inactive)
Huang ZiJun 2276 (Inactive)
OTHER COUNTRIES
Taiwan
Wu KuiLin
Liang JinYi
Hong Kong
Chiu YuKuen
Vietnam
Mei QingMing
Japan
Shen Hao (formerly of Shanghai)
Singapore
Lee KhengSoi
Teo SimHua
Thailand
Ma WuLian
Malaysia
Li JiaQing
Chieng KuokWu
Chen JieYu
Indonesia
Ifan ChungMing
Germany
Huebner Robert (GM of chess)
Siewert Hans-Joachim
Italy
Yu JianGuo
Hu YunXi
Nastasio Davide
Guberti Agostino
USA
Lee Michael
Gong Fan
Chien Chi
Yan TatSun
Ng Hak Lok
Canada
Der Lawrence
Yu Chou Jen
Li Chung
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributors to the FAQ (if I missed someone, let me know):
Michael J. Donohue, Timothy J. Lee, Tero Sand, Kawai Tam, Jeroen
Tiggelman, Jim Z. Yu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shun-Chang Tsai
> There are two shareware DOS Chinese chess program available on the
> Internet. Both are available via anonymous ftp at chess.uoknor.edu.
> The stronger program is currently in the path:
> /pub/chess/uploads/DOS/cch.zip. Type "play" to start. Unfortunately,
The path is now /pub/chess/DOS/cch.zip.
Also, does anyone know what Korean chess, Shogi, Thai chess, et others
mentioned in the FAQ are like? Where can I find info on these games?
Peter Kin-Ym Kwok
>Also, does anyone know what Korean chess, Shogi, Thai chess, et others
>mentioned in the FAQ are like? Where can I find info on these games?
Shogi is a FAQ. I know nothing about Thai chess. Korean chess is
very much like Chinese chess. The chessboard looks like the following
diagram:
r--n--e--g--+--g--n--e--r
| | | |\ | /| | | |
+--+--+--+-\k/-+--+--+--+
| | | | /|\ | | | |
+--c--+--+/-+-\+--+--c--+
| | | | | | | | |
p--+--p--+--p--+--p--+--p
| | | | | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | |
P--+--P--+--P--+--P--+--P
| | | | | | | | |
+--C--+--+--+--+--+--C--+
| | | |\ | /| | | |
+--+--+--+-\K/-+--+--+--+
| | | | /|\ | | | |
R--N--E--G/-+-\G--N--E--R
where K, k = kings (in Korean chess, K = "cho", k = "han")
R, r = rooks
N, n = knights
E, e = elephants (there is no minister in Korean chess)
G, g = guards
C, c = canons
P, p = pawns
Movements:
P, p: like pawns in Chinese chess except that Korean pawns
can move sideways even before they cross the "river"
(There is no river in Korean chessboard)
C, c: much less mobile than Chinese canons. A Korean canon can
move only when a chess piece is blocking its way. It kills
like Chinese canon. Also, a canon CANNOT be the "canon
frame" for another canon, i.e. double canon attack is
prohibited.
N, n: same as Chinese knights
E, e: Korean elephants can cross "river". They move like knights
but they move in the style of "a field plus a sun". (Use
your imagination) Like knights, certain restrictions are
imposed on the movement of elephants but I can't recall the
exact details now. Those restrictions are pretty much like
the concept of "block the horse foot" and "stuff the
elephant field".
Also note the asymmetric arrangement of knights and elephants.
R, r: same as Chinese rooks
K, k: One is allowed to use king to check his opponent. The king
that is being checked may not counter-take the other king.
However, the party who first uses his king to check his
opponent automatically loses his right to win the game. He
can at best draw.
Also, kings are allowed to move like guards. But they are
not allowed to leave the palace.
G, g: same as Chinese guards
Openings:
Central canon is ineffective in the sense that the central pawn
is already protected by one of the elephants. Also, one also has
to rise his knight before he moves his canon to the middle.
One of the most-used opening to move the pawn on the edge of the
chessboard sideway.
Comments:
Korean chess is generally NOT taken seriously by Koreans.
Any correction or variation to the rules of Korean chess that I just
introduced is greatly welcomed.
kwok
Shun-Chang Tsai
> Movements:
> C, c: much less mobile than Chinese canons. A Korean canon can
> move only when a chess piece is blocking its way. It kills
> like Chinese canon. Also, a canon CANNOT be the "canon
> frame" for another canon, i.e. double canon attack is
> prohibited.
How does the cannon move again?
> E, e: Korean elephants can cross "river". They move like knights
> but they move in the style of "a field plus a sun". (Use
> your imagination) Like knights, certain restrictions are
I think you mean +-----+-----+-----e <--- after
| | | |
|-----|-----|-----|
| | | |
before ---> E-----+-----+-----+
> K, k: One is allowed to use king to check his opponent. The king
> that is being checked may not counter-take the other king.
> However, the party who first uses his king to check his
> opponent automatically loses his right to win the game. He
> can at best draw.
Can you elaborate?
> Also, kings are allowed to move like guards. But they are
> not allowed to leave the palace.
> Comments:
> Korean chess is generally NOT taken seriously by Koreans.
Why not?
Kevin
st...@husc.harvard.edu
.
Dong-Ping Deng
Peter> very much like Chinese chess. The chessboard looks like the
Peter> following diagram:
Peter> r--n--e--g--+--g--n--e--r
Peter> | | | |\ | /| | | |
Peter> +--+--+--+-\k/-+--+--+--+
Peter> | | | | /|\ | | | |
Peter> +--c--+--+/-+-\+--+--c--+
Peter> | | | | | | | | |
Peter> p--+--p--+--p--+--p--+--p
Peter> | | | | | | | | |
Peter> +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
Peter> | | | | | | | | |
Peter> +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
Peter> | | | | | | | | |
Peter> P--+--P--+--P--+--P--+--P
Peter> | | | | | | | | |
Peter> +--C--+--+--+--+--+--C--+
Peter> | | | |\ | /| | | |
Peter> +--+--+--+-\K/-+--+--+--+
Peter> | | | | /|\ | | | |
Peter> R--N--E--G/-+-\G--N--E--R
Chinese chess' royal palace (jiu3-gong1 "9 houses")
4___9___2
|\ | /|
3__\5/__7
| /|\ |
8/__1__\6
The myth of number 15 is burried in jiu-gong ;-).
The "king" was used to be in position 5, the first step was to move the
"king" back to position 1, representing so called "deng1 jiu3 wu3 er2 zuo4
yi1" (climbing 9 5 and sitting 1) and symbolizing "conqueror of the land".
The Korean chess still preserves this tradition.
Shun-Chang Tsai
>Chinese chess' royal palace (jiu3-gong1 "9 houses")
> 4___9___2
> |\ | /|
> 3__\5/__7
> | /|\ |
> 8/__1__\6
>The myth of number 15 is burried in jiu-gong ;-).
>The "king" was used to be in position 5, the first step was to move the
>"king" back to position 1, representing so called "deng1 jiu3 wu3 er2 zuo4
>yi1" (climbing 9 5 and sitting 1) and symbolizing "conqueror of the land".
>The Korean chess still preserves this tradition.
More to add to the FAQ!
R.J.Hare
>Also, does anyone know what Korean chess, Shogi, Thai chess, et others
>mentioned in the FAQ are like? Where can I find info on these games?
There is a shogi mailing list - send the one-line message:
subscribe shogi-l your name
to:
list...@technion.bitnet
to subscribe.
Roger Hare.
Stephen Leary
about the game of Chinese chess (otherwise known as "xiangqi" or
"elephant game" or "co tuong"). Corrections, additions, suggestions, etc.,
should be sent to Stephen Leary at al...@yfn.ysu.edu.
Posting Frequency: every two weeks
Last Update: January 17, 1994
New since last posting:
INDEX of Questions:
7. Oriental Board Games by David Pritchard
Ishi Press International
20 Bruges Place
London NW1 0TE United Kingdom
There are two shareware DOS Chinese chess program available on the
Internet. Both are available via anonymous ftp at chess.uoknor.edu.
The stronger program is currently in the path:
/pub/chess/uploads/DOS/cch.zip. Type "play" to start. Unfortunately,
this program seems to freeze the computer after exiting from the
program. The other, weaker, program is in the path:
/pub/chess/DOS/chinechs.exe.
Are there any clubs where I can find opponents?
USA
Los Angeles Chinese Chess Association
625 College St #203
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Xiangqi Association of America
153-A Waverly Pl
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 391-1236
New York Chinese Chess Association
21 Division St
New York, NY 10002
United East Athletic Association, Xiangqi Club
70 Mulberry St, Room 201
New York, NY 10003
CANADA
Calgary Chinese Chess Association
107A Ng Tower Center
115 - 2nd Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta, CANADA T2P 3C6
Edmonton Chinese Chess Association
9645 - 101A Ave
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T5H 0Y1
Montreal Chinese Chess Association
8655 Forbin Janson
Montreal, Quebec, CANADA H1K 2J8
Toronto Xiangqi Association
4790 Creditview Rd
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA L5M 5M4
(416) 492-7581
Vancouver Chinese Chess Association
2/F, 21 E, Pender St
Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6A 1S9
Winnipeg Xiangqi Association
33 Surfside Crescent
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA R3X 1P2
EUROPE
United Kingdom Chinese Chess Association
12 Lagan House, Sumner Rd
London SE15 5RB ENGLAND
German Xiangqi Association
Buttstrabe 50,
2000 Hamburg 650 GERMANY
Holland Chinese Chess Association
Oltmanstraat 20,
3842, 2X Harderwyk, HOLLAND
Italian Xiangqi Association
Via Don Guocdi 20/D
20075 Lodi (Milduo) ITALY
Association de Xiangqi en France
46, Avenue D'ivry
75013 Paris, FRANCE
ASIA
Australia Xiangqi Association
Dept of Medicine, Level 5, Block 5
Monash Medical Centre
Clayton Rd
Clayton, VIC 3168 AUSTRALIA
Chinese Xiangqi Association
No. 80 Tian Tan Dong Rd
Beijing 100061 CHINA
Taipei Chinese Chess Association
2/F, 248 Yin Pin Bei Rd, 2nd Lane
Taipei TAIWAN
Hong Kong Chinese Chess Association
Flat E/F, 4/F Wang Cheung Commercial Bldg
249-253 Reclamation St
Kowloon, HONG KONG
Singapore Xiangqi General Association
79-B, Lorong 8
Geylang Singapore 1439 SINGAPORE
Thailand Xiangqi Association
78 Soipantachit 2 Lanes, Mytricht Rd
Bangkok, THAILAND 10100
Viet-Nam Hochiminh City Dist. 5 Chess Assn
100/6B Hung-Vuong F.9.Q.5
Hochiminh City VIETNAM
Indonesia Chinese Chess Association
Jl. Per Agalan I No. 35
Jakarta INDONESIA
Malaysia Chinese Chess Association
11, Jalan Sultan, 5000
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Sabah Chess Association Union
PO Box 792
90008 Sandakan
Sabah, EAST MALAYSIA
Japan Xiangqi Association
4-1-15 Shimoigusa, Suginamiku
Tokyo 167 JAPAN
Philippines Federal Chess Enthusiast Assn
Room 219, 945 Gandara St
Manila, PHILIPPINES
Associacao De Xadrez Chines De Macau
Av. Do Almt. Lacerda 89A EDF.
Luenfung No. 1 A MACAU
Brunei Chinese Chess
Blk C, #3 Abd Razak Complex Gadong 3180
PO Box 946 Bandar Seri Begawan 1909
BRUNEI Darussalam
Can I play opponents by using my computer?
You can play real time games on the Internet Chinese Chess Server (ICCS).
Telnet to: coolidge.harvard.edu 5555 or 128.103.28.15 5555
Login with a name & choose a short password. Type "help"
or "help intro" if you're new. An x-windows based client is
available via anonymous ftp from ifcss.org. It is in the path:
/software/x-win/games. Read the file xicch.readme. A PC client
is also available at ifcss.org. It is in the path:
/software/dos/misc/zu-hz028.zip
You may also play real time Chinese chess on the Internet Go Server at
hellspark.wharton.upenn.edu 6969. You will probably have to use the
"shout" command to find players since most will be playing go. Do not
expect to play Chinese chess without difficulty here for the time being.
Is there a Chinese chess version of the United States Chess Federation?
No. Organization of Chinese chess in the United States lags behind
most other countries, including those in Europe. Also, Europe seems
to enjoy a great deal of cooperation between Asian "experts" and
western "novices," unlike the situation in the US. Chinese chess
"organization" in the US is basically confined to Chinatown clubs,
which are not usually as accessible as the tourist shops. A suggestion
for future development would be to organize Chinese chess activities at
regular chess or go clubs & then try to branch out on your own after a
regular clientele has been established. Perhaps try to find a local
Chinese chess expert who would agree to give a simul or lecture to
drum up interest.
Who are some of the strongest players around the world?
Most of the strongest players live in China. Here are the Chinese
National Ratings for the first half of 1993:
MEN:
Lu Qin 2556 (Won 5 Ram Cup 5 years in a row)
Zhao GuoRong 2534 (Two-time Chinese National Champion--1990 & 1992)
Hu RongHua 2524 (Greatest player in Chinese chess history?)
Li LaiQun 2510 (Current holder of QiWang [Chess King] title)
Xu TianHong 2502 (Won Third World Cup in Beijing in April)
Liu DaHua 2468 (Won Chinese National title in 1980 & 1981)
Yu YouHua 2460 (Feared attacker)
Lin HongMin 2451 (Strongest Shanghai player after Hu Rong Hua)
Xu YinChuan 2437 (Current Chinese National Champ & 5 Ram Cup Champ)
OTHER COUNTRIES
Hong Kong
Chiu YuKuen
Vietnam
Mei QingMing
Japan
Singapore
Lee KhengSoi
Teo SimHua
Thailand
Ma WuLian
Malaysia
Indonesia
Ifan ChungMing
Italy
USA
Canada
Tiggelman, Jim Z. Yu, Elton Yuen
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