Description
Chinese Chess Set Pack (Xinag Qi).
Offered here is a Chinese Chess Set Pack, which includes the 32 plastic Xiangqi chess pieces, folding plastic-coated chessboard, instruction leaflet and “Chinese Chess” a 128 page book on the Ancient Oriental Game of Strategy by James Palmer. The 32 individual plastic disc chess pieces measure 0.7″ in diameter. The graphic red and green folding chessboard 11″ square open. Each of the chessmen is identified by Chinese Calligraphy characters on one side and Western characters on the obverse. Each character represents the individual units and are engraved in red or Black. The pieces, chessboard and book in this Chinese Chess Set Pack are in like-new condition. The original cardboard display box is in very good condition.
Background.
Chinese Chess is also known as Xiangqi (or Xiang Qi). It is one of the oldest forms of chess and one of the most popular board games in China. It is related to Western Chess, Chaturanga, Shogi, Indian chess and Janggi. There are several differences between Xiangqi and Western Chess. The most significant are the new piece, the Cannon (pao), which must have a “screen” to capture; a rule forbidding the Kings (or Generals) from directly opposing each other; the ability to block the Knight, Pawn promotion; the river, which the Elephants can’t cross; and the Fortress or Palace, which confines the King and his advisors (Visors).
The battlefield is composed of 9 vertical lines (files) and 10 horizontal lines (ranks) with the pieces being played on the intersections. On the center of each edge of the board is the fortress or palace, which is 3 by 3 lines (9 points) with four diagonal lines that extend outward from the center forming an “X” shape. Dividing the two opposing sides of the board is a river, located between the fifth and sixth ranks. The river is often marked with the Chinese characters, 楚河 “Chǔ Hé” meaning “Chu River”, and 漢界 (汉界 in simplified Chinese), “Hàn Jiè”, meaning “Han border”, a reference to the Chu-Han War. Some boards have the starting points of soldiers marked with symbols.
