象棋 (Xiàngqí), Chinese chess, is quite similar to international chess, but with some very interesting differences. Like in international chess, two armies face each other, hoping to take out each others’ kings - or here, generals. Instead of carved pieces, the Chinese version uses flat camembert-shaped pieces with beautiful characters on. It also features a river across the middle of the board, beyond which some pieces move differently, and which cannot be crossed by the elephants – yes, elephants! The game is even named after them - look closely at the xiàng character (象). Hint: Is it facing you? The perhaps coolest piece is the cannon, which moves as a rook/tower in international chess, but can attack only by jumping over another piece to get to its victim. Bang! In parks you often hear loud, gleeful smacks when a player captures a piece by hammering his own piece down on top of it. Horses and pawns, ok, but elephants and cannons?? Baidu Baike
Comments are closed.
|
Understand
|