Chinese chess

Gameplay Instructions

Number of players: 2

4-Color Elephants

Chinese Chess

Gameplay:

1. Board and Pieces: The Chinese chess board consists of 9 horizontal lines and 10 vertical lines, with a total of 90 intersection points where pieces are placed. A river boundary in the middle divides the board into two camps.
2. Pieces: Pieces are divided into red and black colors, with 16 pieces of each color. -Red pieces: 1 General, 2 Advisors, 2 Elephants, 2 Horses, 2 Rooks, 2 Cannons, 5 Pawns. -Black pieces: 1 Marshal, 2 Guards, 2 Ministers, 2 Horses, 2 Chariots, 2 Cannons, 5 Soldiers.
3. Piece Placement and Movement:
   General (Marshal): Can only move within the nine-palace grid, one square at a time.

• Advisor (Guard): Can only move within the nine-palace grid, one diagonal step at a time.
• Elephant (Minister): Can only move along the diagonal of a two-by-two square, and cannot cross the river.
• Horse: Moves in an "L" shape, first one step horizontally then one step vertically, or vice versa, but its path can be blocked (legged).
• Rook (Chariot): Can move any number of steps horizontally or vertically in a straight line, but cannot jump over other pieces.
• Cannon: Moves like a Rook when not capturing. When capturing, it must jump over exactly one piece (of any color) to capture an opponent's piece.
• Pawn (Soldier): Can only move one square forward at a time, cannot move backward. After crossing the river, it can move horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally.

1. Check: When one side's General (Marshal) is captured by an opponent's piece, or the General (Marshal) is trapped within the nine-palace grid and cannot move, it is called check.
2. Winning: The side that captures the opponent's General (Marshal) wins.
3. Capture Rules: When your piece moves to a square occupied by an opponent's piece, you can capture that opponent's piece (the opponent's piece is removed from the board, and your moving piece takes its place). Only the Cannon has a different capture method; other pieces follow this rule.