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\n EXPLANATORY NOTE
\n November 1989<\/p>\n
Although it has been several years in the making, the present release of
\nXiangqi is very far from being a finished product. It remains woefully
\nslow, and it doesn’t play a particularly good game. But it has reached a
\nplateau, and I don’t know if it will ever get any better, so I’m releasing
\nit into the public domain with one hope: that it will provide an
\nintroduction to an exciting and fast-moving game too little known in the
\nWest.<\/p>\n
If you do become interested in xiangqi and want a stronger opponent, I can
\nrecommend a commercial program called Xian, published by Leong Jacobs Inc.,
\n2729 Lury Lane, Annapolis MD 21401. (Telephone 301-266-3660.) The program
\nplays an excellent game and is blindingly fast. A graphics adapter is
\nrequired.<\/p>\n
Xiangi was created using Turbo Pascal, copyright (c) Borland International
\n1987, 1988, and Turbo Assembler, copyright (c) Borland International 1988.<\/p>\n
===========================================================================<\/p>\n
XIANGQI
\n The Chinese Game of Chess<\/p>\n
– Version 2 –<\/p>\n
Program and notes
\n by Peter Donnelly
\n 1301 Ryan Street
\n Victoria BC Canada V8T 4Y8<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
No, it’s not the same as Chinese checkers – which is not an oriental game
\nat all. Nor is it the same as go. It is an ancient form of chess played by
\nmillions.<\/p>\n
Xiangqi (pronounced roughly “zhang-chee”, with the “zh” being the sound of
\nthe middle consonant in “leisure”) is in fact closely allied to our
\nfamiliar western chess. It is thought that the two games share an ancestor
\nthat developed in India more than a thousand years ago. The Chinese board
\nis somewhat different from ours, and the pieces, with one exception, are
\nnot exactly like their western counterparts. The game also has its own
\nflavor; it is much more fast-paced and tactical in nature than western
\nchess – or, for that matter, the Japanese shogi, to which it is also
\nrelated.<\/p>\n
Xiangqi is also unlike western chess in its popular appeal; it is played by
\nall classes. Visitors to San Francisco may see it played in outdoor
\ngazebos, with the onlookers taking an active part – even to the extent of
\nreaching in and moving the pieces!<\/p>\n
Authentic boards and pieces can be bought cheaply in any North American
\nChinatown. You will likely need help identifying the men, which are
\ndistinguished not by shape but by their names printed or stamped in Chinese
\non one side.<\/p>\n
===========================================================================<\/p>\n
XIANGQI ON THE COMPUTER<\/p>\n
No graphics card is required. The program adapts itself automatically to
\ncolor or monochrome. If you have a hybrid system with a color graphics card
\nand a monochrome monitor, and find that the display doesn’t seem right, you
\ncan force the program into monochrome mode by putting M or \/M on the
\ncommand line.<\/p>\n
The game can be played with a Logitech or Microsoft mouse, or with the
\nkeyboard.<\/p>\n
With no mouse, move the cursor box about the screen with the arrow or
\nnumerical keys. Pick up and put down a piece with Enter or (handier on
\nold-style keyboards) the grey plus key. Move to the menu either by pressing
\nF1 before picking up a piece or by moving the cursor off the bottom of the
\nboard. When finished with the menu, just press the up arrow or F1 to return
\nto the board. To be reminded of how a piece moves, position the cursor over
\nthe piece and press F2; every point where it can move, and every piece it
\nprotects, is marked with an X.<\/p>\n
The mouse controls need no explanation. The available options are always
\ndisplayed on the screen, where the left and right buttons are indicated
\nby arrowheads.<\/p>\n
On the menu line, “Free” lets you set up the board any way you like. (To
\nclear the board first, load EMPTY.BD with the “Read” command.) Black’s home
\nside must always be at the bottom. The program doesn’t check to see that
\npieces are placed in legal positions, and it will malfunction if, for
\nexample, you put an elephant on a point it can’t normally visit.<\/p>\n
“New” sets up the pieces for a new game, and “Back” takes back your last
\nmove. You can take back a move even after losing the game – answer “Y” at
\nthe “Play again?” prompt and then choose “Back”.<\/p>\n
“Save” will save a position (it remembers who is to move) and “Read”
\nwill restore it. Since the program lets you take back only one move, you
\nshould save any crucial positions that you may want to replay.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of a game you are always offered the black pieces and the
\nfirst move. To take the red pieces instead, choose “Swap”. You can also
\nchange sides during the game with this option. By continuously swapping,
\nyou will see the machine play itself.<\/p>\n
Cycle upward through the “Skill” levels with the Enter or plus keys; to
\ncycle downward, use the minus key. With the mouse, cycle up with the left
\nbutton and down with the right. The number of turns ahead the program will
\nlook depends partly on the skill level and partly on the position. There is
\nno “book” for the opening so to speed things up you should set the level at
\n1 or 2 for the first few moves. If playing at a low level, increase skill
\nif you reach an endgame with only a few pieces on each side.<\/p>\n
Click on the musical note to toggle the sound on and off.<\/p>\n
Finally, strike Ctrl-Q while the machine is thinking if you change your
\nmind about your move. To avoid wasting time, the machine checks the
\nkeyboard only at intervals during its search, so at higher skill levels
\nthis command may not take effect immediately.<\/p>\n
===========================================================================<\/p>\n
OBJECT OF THE GAME<\/p>\n
Players move and capture as in chess. Win is by checkmate or stalemate:
\nthat is, a player loses if he cannot make a move without exposing his
\ngeneral, or king, to capture.<\/p>\n
The program announces “I lose” when it sees that you can force a mate
\nwithin the next few moves.<\/p>\n
THE BOARD<\/p>\n
There are 90 points of play, arranged in 10 ranks or rows and 9 files or
\ncolumns. The board has some special features: the two castles, which are
\nnine-point squares defined by a large X, and the river, which separates the
\ntwo halves of the board. These features affect some of the pieces.<\/p>\n
MOVES OF THE PIECES<\/p>\n
General One point along a rank or file; may not leave the castle.
\nGuard One point along a diagonal within the castle. Can visit only
\n five different points.
\nElephant Always two points along a diagonal; may not cross the river
\n or leap a piece. Can visit only seven different points.
\nHorse One point along a rank or file, then one point diagonally.
\n May not leap a piece.
\nChariot Any distance along a rank or file, without leaping. Just
\n like a western rook.
\nCannon Ordinarily moves like a chariot, but cannot capture unless
\n it leaps over a single piece of either color on the way to
\n its target.
\nSoldier One point straight ahead, until it has reached the far bank
\n of the river; then it may move one point straight forward or
\n along a rank. Never moves diagonally or backward.<\/p>\n
As well as its regular move, the general has the theoretical power of
\nattacking the opposing general along an open file, moving just like a
\nchariot. Any move that puts the generals opposite one another along an open
\nfile is therefore equivalent to moving into check, and is illegal.<\/p>\n
Note that only the chariot is exactly like its counterpart in chess. The
\nhorse is like the knight but must always take the “straight” part of its
\nmove first, and can be blocked by a piece of either color at the elbow of
\nits path. The cannon cannot leap unless it is capturing, and cannot capture
\nwithout leaping.<\/p>\n
HINTS ON PLAY<\/p>\n
Don’t rely too much on knowledge of western chess. Xiangqi is a much more
\nopen, tactical game, with ready-cleared files that permit quick attack by
\nthe chariot and the cannon, the most mobile pieces. Control of these open
\nfiles, particularly those aimed at the enemy castle, is of the utmost
\nimportance.<\/p>\n
The cannon is an interesting piece. It can be devastating at long range,
\nbut once it has been “shot” over the enemy line it can lose its efficacy,
\njust like a spent ball. It is powerless against an enemy that is in close.
\nAn important thing to remember is that the cannon can pin two enemy pieces
\nagainst their general – if either one moves, the general is in check. With
\nthis in mind, many games begin with black’s cannon being moved to the
\ncentre file. Some fascinating situations develop when two or more enemy
\ncannons line up against one another and begin leapfrogging at targets.<\/p>\n
The elephant, the guards, and for the most part the general itself are
\ndefensive pieces, except in those instances where they provide a screen for
\nthe cannon. But their constant presence in the home field gives the
\nchariots, cannons, and horses more freedom to go to the attack. After
\ndeveloping your pieces – getting the chariots onto open ranks and files,
\nbringing the horses off the back row, deploying the cannons behind screens
\n– move quickly against the enemy. There is no place in xiangqi for the
\ntenacious, passive defence. It is impossible to build an impregnable,
\ninterlocked wall of men as you might do in western chess – chiefly because
\nof the very different nature of the pawns, or soldiers – and it is better
\nto deploy your forces in an active, aggressive way.<\/p>\n
Do not overlook the power of the promoted soldier. Once across the river
\nthis little piece triples in strength, and in many situations, especially
\nclose in on the castle, it can be as effective as a chariot. And don’t
\nforget the general’s ability to close off a file to the opposing general –
\na power that frequently clinches mate.<\/p>\n
For purposes of evaluating trades, count guard and elephant at 2, cannon
\nand horse at 4, and chariot at 8. Trading a horse for a cannon may be a
\ngood idea early in the game but becomes less wise as the board opens up and
\nthe cannon becomes relatively weaker. Soldiers start at 1 but can greatly
\nincrease in value depending on their position. In the early stages of the
\ngame the enemy soldiers are temptingly exposed targets, but don’t waste
\ntime on them: it is far more important to develop your major pieces and not
\nlose tempo.<\/p>\n
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