Chinese Chess is a two person strategically based militaristic style board game, where each side represents a different country, separated by a "river".
       Within each country, players, chose to play an invading army (either red or black pieces - in some sets green is used instead of black) where there is a central fortress (marked with a diagonal cross) with its General and his attacking troops.
       Unlike Western board games where play is played on the inside of the squares, Chinese Chess is played on the intersecting lines (points) of the board (sample above).
      Object: To invade and capture ("checkmate") the opposing General or to immobilize ("stalemate") the enemy's army.

Rules and how to play:
      Red moves first and play alternates, each player in his turn moving one of his own pieces.
      No intersection may be occupied by more than one man.
       Capturing, which is optional, is by displacement as in Western Chess. A captured man is removed at once from the board and takes no further part in the game.
       A player may not make a move which puts or leaves his General in check.
       It is not normal to announce a "check" but feel free to do so.
      "Checkmate" occurs when a General can not escape from the attack by taking the attacking piece, moving to an intersection that is not under attack, or destroying the check by interposing a man or by removing a screen (see Cannon).

Each Side has:
One General
    The General can not leave the confines of the fortress (the 4 squares with the diagonal cross in the middle). And can only move one point vertically or horizontally in any direction. Thus he is confined to one tenth of the board.
    The General cannot move onto any point that is been attacked by an enemy man as he would thereby put himself into check.
    Also, He cannot move onto a free point if the opposing General is the only man on that line (i.e. the two Generals may not therefore 'look at' each other - must always have another piece in between the two Generals).
     The General can capture any piece by moving onto that point occupied by the enemy's piece, which is at once removed from play.

Two Mandarins

    The Mandarins cannot leave the fortress and their primary role is to defend the General, and can be used to defend each other also.
     They can only move diagonally one point forward or backwards staying on the "X" of the fortress.
     Thus the two Mandarins together have access to only five points, including those they occupied from the start.

Two Elephants
     The Elephants cannot cross the river, hence their role is largely defensive.
     They can only move diagonally two points forward or backward, but can only do so if the intervening point is unoccupied.
     The two Elephants therefore have access to only seven points but like the Mandarins they can be used to defend each other.

Two Horses

    Horses can cross the river, they move similar to, but not identical with, that of the "Knight" in Western Chess.
     It first moves one point horizontally or vertically then one point diagonally in the same direction.
     But the orthogonal point over which the Horse passes in its two point move must be vacant (i.e. unlike the "Knight" the Chinese Horse cannot jump over any piece).

Two Chariots

     Chariots can cross the river and moves identical to that of the "Rook" in Western Chess.
     That is it moves orthogonal in any direction over any distance. It cannot, however, leap over any man.      The Chariot's are the strongest of all the Chinese Chess pieces. With its power increasing, as the numbers of men on the board are reduced and more lines are open on which to operate.

Two Cannons

     Cannons can cross the river and are the most fascinating of all the pieces which gives the game much of its Character.
     It moves exactly like the Chariot (orthogonal in any direction) but, deploys an unique method of capturing a piece.
     Too capture, it must leap over one man (of either color) to capture a man on the same line anywhere beyond it.
     Thus the first man is known as the screen. Consequently, it is only the second man on the line that is vulnerable, not the first, third or subsequent.

Five Soldiers
     Soldiers can also cross the river, and moves straight forward only one point at a time.
     But after crossing the river it is 'promoted' and can then also move horizontally, again one point at a time.
     Soldiers, when reaching the end of the board can only move horizontally. Soldiers can only move forward and can never retreat.

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