Xiangqi Trivia Quiz

Answer: China

Xiangqi is sometimes called the most popular game in the world, and when you consider that it originated in China, it's not necessarily difficult to see why. It is one of several chess variants that arose as shatranj spread from India to the rest of the world. Xiangqi, shogi, and international chess are the three chess variants most recognized and played around the world, though xiangqi and shogi are relatively unknown outside of the Orient.

The name "xiangqi" is pronounced as "shiang-chi" and means "elephant game."

Answer: at the intersections of the board's lines

Xiangqi is played by two sides, red and green (or black). Unlike most chess variants, the pieces are placed and played on the intersections of the board. Though there are 64 squares in an 8 by 8 arrangement on a traditional xiangqi board, playing on the intersections and a split board causes the game to be played across a 9 by 10 playing field.

The starting positions of the soldiers and cannons are usually marked, though this is not a necessary feature of the board. A set style that uses Staunton pieces and an actual 9 by 10 board does exist and is known as a Cambaluc Board.

Answer: 16

As with international chess, each player starts with sixteen pieces, however there are a total of seven different types of pieces. These include 1 general, 2 guards, 2 elephants, 2 horses, 2 chariots, 2 cannons, and 5 soldiers. The general is placed at the center of the bottom row, and on each side is placed a guard, elephant, horse, and chariot. Above them is an empty row, and above that, the cannons are placed, aligned with the horses.

The soldiers are placed in the row above the cannons, and evenly spaced across the width of the board.

Answer: palace and river

There is more to a xiangqi board than just the squares. A river and two palaces (one on each side) exist and affect the movements of four different pieces. Each palace is marked with two diagonal lines, forming a 3 by 3 area which the general and guards can never leave. In this space, the general can move one space orthogonally, while the guards can move one space diagonally.

The river cuts the board in half, and promotes soldiers but restricts elephants. Soldiers move forward one space at a time, but once they cross the river, they are able to move left and right as well (they can never move backwards). Elephants move two spaces diagonally in any direction, but are never allowed to cross the river.

Answer: jump across other pieces

When simply moving around the board, the cannon moves orthogonally in any direction, as far as it wants to. However, it must hop over any one piece in order to capture. This unique ability makes cannons tricky to handle and to avoid. At the start of a game, they can move to the center and quickly threaten the general, but they become less effective as the game goes on and pieces get captured.

In xiangqi, the horse moves in an L-shape, but it cannot jump over pieces. Because of this, it is possible for one horse to threaten another without being threatened back.

Answer: rook

The chariot is the only piece in xiangqi that moves exactly like one in international chess, the rook. It moves orthogonally any distance and captures in the same manner, and is by far the most powerful piece in xiangqi. Both of a player's chariots start at the corners of the board and become dangerous when mobilized.

The relative values of each piece are: chariot (9), cannon (4.5), horse (4), elephant (2), guard (2), promoted soldier (2), soldier (1).

Answer: checkmate the opponent's general

As with most chess variants, the purpose of a game of xiangqi is to put the opponent's general in checkmate. The general is in check when it is threatened by a piece, and checkmated when a player cannot avoid or eliminate the check. Because the general is restricted to the 3 by 3 palace, it is possible for an enemy piece to move next to it, and threaten it without being threatened back. Because the general only moves orthogonally, its movement is diminished further if moved to a corner of the palace.

The guards can sometimes get in the general's way because they move differently. All these are things to consider when trying to checkmate an opponent's general -- or protect your own.

Answer: none of these situations will result in a draw

While there are many ways to draw (or stalemate) an international chess game, xiangqi tends to frown on and forbid such playing. Moves that cause repeated board positions, whether by perpetual check or by chasing around other pieces, are forbidden. Additionally, a player with no legal moves to make loses the game (as opposed to getting a draw via stalemate).

The only positional situation that can result in a draw is if both players lose all of their pieces that can cross the river; checkmate becomes impossible afterwards.

Answer: generals

In addition to the basic rules of xiangqi, there is one special rule: the generals can never see each other. If they are ever in the same file, there must at least one intervening piece of either color between them. This rule becomes particularly important during the endgame, when few pieces are left.

The generals, already restricted to the palace, can use this rule offensively to restrict each others' movements, and make it possible to checkmate an opponent's general with only a single offensive piece across the river.

Answer: True

The game-tree complexity of a game is the number of situations considered to completely analyze the starting position of the board. Because xiangqi uses seven different pieces and is played on a 9 by 10 board space, its game-tree complexity is about 10^150, about 1 million times that of backgammon (10^144), and 1 octillion times that of international chess (10^123).

As with many major chess variants, computer programs have been made to play xiangqi, and their strength has steadily increased over the years.