International Chess Vs Xiangqi !? - Chess Forums

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Sort: ESP-918 Feb 10, 2017 0 #1

How much are you familiar with each game?

Which do you prefer and which do you think is more interesting to play

llama Feb 10, 2017 0 #2

I've only played Xiangqi a few times OTB with this Chinese guy who told me a little about it.

First of all trying to distinguish the pieces by the kanji and not the shape (they all look the same) is annoying.

Secondly it doesn't seem like as interesting of a game. The pawns seemed clumsy and the tactics and strategy less spectacular... but I don't know much about it. 

ESP-918 Feb 10, 2017 0 #3

Good honest, open answer

kindaspongey Feb 11, 2017 0 #4

I am far from an expert, but my impression is that the game has a big problem dealing with repetition of position. I once saw a comment that almost all games would be drawn if the international chess rule were used. So, instead, it appears to me that the practice is, in effect, to assign blame to one of the two players for a repetition situation and to compell deviation for the player who is perceived to be at fault. I read somewhere that judges are sometimes used for this sort of issue.

ICT_Chess Feb 13, 2017 0 #5

i play xiangqi quite a bit online and otb--far from being 'clumsy' and 'less spectacular', it is a very elegant game. one of the people i play with describes it as 'poetry', in contrast to the often mathematical and overly-concrete western chess. 

each game has different priorities, and learning how to manage those is part of the main difficulty. the characters on the pieces can be memorized in a few minutes, although the movement of the cannon and knight in particular can be difficult to internalize. 

some interesting differences/characteristics that i've noticed over a couple of years of playing: 

material is less important than position--in master games, you'll often see opportunities for trades that are either delayed or abandoned. i haven't worked this out all the way, but tempo seems to have a lot to do with it. 

opening classification is vast and subjective: because all pieces can move at the beginning of the game, there are an incredible number of possible paths to any particular position, and openings can be extremely fluid. western chess is a game of structure (think pawn chains, etc), whereas xiangqi is a game of movement. 

learning to block (and to avoid being blocked) is key: knights can be blocked, cannons can be blocked. it's weird but cool. 

in general, both xiangqi and shogi abhor draws, and it's okay. xiangqi in particular prefers a decision--stalemates are a loss for the stalemated player. 

you are in danger the entire time. the king is trapped in the middle of board, half of your pieces are trapped on your side of the board (there's a river in the middle of the board), there is no safety! it's great fun, and because it shares common ancestry with western chess, it's an enriching game for chess players of all skill levels. it might even help you discover new things about western chess. 

 

 

wb_munchausen Feb 13, 2017 0 #6 I like xiangqi and play it frequently. Definitely has a common origin as chess. Tempo is even more important, but since pawns don't promote, there are a lot of draws. ESP-918 Feb 13, 2017 0 #7

Which one do you prefer and which is more interesting to play for you?

llama Feb 13, 2017 0 #8 ICT_Chess wrote:

i play xiangqi quite a bit online and otb--far from being 'clumsy' and 'less spectacular', it is a very elegant game. one of the people i play with describes it as 'poetry', in contrast to the often mathematical and overly-concrete western chess. 

each game has different priorities, and learning how to manage those is part of the main difficulty. the characters on the pieces can be memorized in a few minutes, although the movement of the cannon and knight in particular can be difficult to internalize. 

some interesting differences/characteristics that i've noticed over a couple of years of playing: 

material is less important than position--in master games, you'll often see opportunities for trades that are either delayed or abandoned. i haven't worked this out all the way, but tempo seems to have a lot to do with it. 

opening classification is vast and subjective: because all pieces can move at the beginning of the game, there are an incredible number of possible paths to any particular position, and openings can be extremely fluid. western chess is a game of structure (think pawn chains, etc), whereas xiangqi is a game of movement. 

learning to block (and to avoid being blocked) is key: knights can be blocked, cannons can be blocked. it's weird but cool. 

in general, both xiangqi and shogi abhor draws, and it's okay. xiangqi in particular prefers a decision--stalemates are a loss for the stalemated player. 

you are in danger the entire time. the king is trapped in the middle of board, half of your pieces are trapped on your side of the board (there's a river in the middle of the board), there is no safety! it's great fun, and because it shares common ancestry with western chess, it's an enriching game for chess players of all skill levels. it might even help you discover new things about western chess. 

 

 

I've played less than 10 games of it, so really, don't mind me

Pieces are trapped in areas... that may be a good way to describe how I feel about it. It felt hard to coordinate the pieces.

I've often heard that western chess is materialistic... well, kind of. Many times pawns are offered or offered but not taken. Maybe a pawn is seen as too little though, and people still consider that too materialistic. Although I also feel this is what adds strategic depth. The game is much less likely to end with a big sacrificial attack than a technically complex / maneuvering endgame (when the opponents are evenly matched).

ericyancovid Mar 19, 2021 0 #9

xiangqi pieces are too weak

joshuashepard93 Jul 5, 2023 0 #10 kindaspongey wrote:

I am far from an expert, but my impression is that the game has a big problem dealing with repetition of position. I once saw a comment that almost all games would be drawn if the international chess rule were used. So, instead, it appears to me that the practice is, in effect, to assign blame to one of the two players for a repetition situation and to compell deviation for the player who is perceived to be at fault. I read somewhere that judges are sometimes used for this sort of issue.

You don't have to be an expert. Repeated check is only allowed 2x. Not so in western chess. A literal rule you skipped over

joshuashepard93 Jul 5, 2023 0 #11 llama wrote:

I've only played Xiangqi a few times OTB with this Chinese guy who told me a little about it.

First of all trying to distinguish the pieces by the kanji and not the shape (they all look the same) is annoying.

Secondly it doesn't seem like as interesting of a game. The pawns seemed clumsy and the tactics and strategy less spectacular... but I don't know much about it.

Also there is zero stalemate. Stalemate is loss for person in stalemate

DavidJiaen Jan 15, 2025 0 #12

Xiangqi is very different than chess.

If you ues the thinking way in chess to play xiangqi, you will feel the pawns are clumsy.

Xiangqi is more focus on the battle formation.

The formation is better, the pieces are more powerful.

Don't use the chess thinking when you are playing xiangqi.

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