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chinese-chess
Learn the ancient and fascinating game of Chinese Chess with this expert guide.
Chinese chess, or "elephant chess," has intrigued the powerful and the quizzical for centuries. Although its rules are similar to the well-known Western game, subtle and fascinating variations must be mastered in order to understand the strategies it requires. A great way to learn Chinese Chess, this book is simple enough for Chess beginners but contains a wealth of information and tips that experienced players will find useful as well.
In Chinese Chess, author H.T. Lau explains the game's fundamentals—the rules, the board, and the basics with dozens of insightful diagrams. With the aid of 170 diagrams, Chinese Chess walks players through the board, the movement and values of the pieces, basic rules for capturing and defeating an opponent, techniques and game-winning tactics. Once he's covered the basics, Lau introduces advanced tactics, methods for escaping difficult positions, and cunning strategies for winning.
This book includes eighty mid- and end-game exercises designed to sharpen playing skills and strategy, and concludes with two appendices devoted to the elegantly constructed games found in The Secret Inside the Orange and The Plum-Blossom Meter, two classic seventeenth-century works on Chinese chess.
Chinese chess, or "elephant chess," has intrigued the powerful and the quizzical for centuries. Although its rules are similar to the well-known Western game, subtle and fascinating variations must be mastered in order to understand the strategies it requires. A great way to learn Chinese Chess, this book is simple enough for Chess beginners but contains a wealth of information and tips that experienced players will find useful as well.
In Chinese Chess, author H.T. Lau explains the game's fundamentals—the rules, the board, and the basics with dozens of insightful diagrams. With the aid of 170 diagrams, Chinese Chess walks players through the board, the movement and values of the pieces, basic rules for capturing and defeating an opponent, techniques and game-winning tactics. Once he's covered the basics, Lau introduces advanced tactics, methods for escaping difficult positions, and cunning strategies for winning.
This book includes eighty mid- and end-game exercises designed to sharpen playing skills and strategy, and concludes with two appendices devoted to the elegantly constructed games found in The Secret Inside the Orange and The Plum-Blossom Meter, two classic seventeenth-century works on Chinese chess.
248 pages, Library Binding
First published December 15, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 1, 2026
This book is often recommended as a beginner-friendly introduction to Xiangqi (Chinese Chess). Many reviews praise it for being easy to read and suitable for newcomers. Unfortunately, from the perspective of a modern Western learner with no prior background in Chinese chess, it does not live up to that reputation.
I received this book as a gift and approached it with genuine excitement. I wanted a clear, structured, beginner-level introduction that would help me understand the game and prepare me to engage with modern Xiangqi resources. Instead, I found a book that feels disconnected from how beginners actually learn today.
WHAT THE BOOK DOES WELL
The opening section provides brief historical context, focusing mainly on early Xiangqi writings and ancient manuals. The initial chapters explain the board, the pieces, basic movement rules, and concepts like perpetual check. There is also a discussion of approximate piece values, which aligns with values commonly cited elsewhere.
As a reference, this part of the book is adequate. If you already understand chess-like games, you can follow along without too much difficulty.
WHERE THE BOOK FALLS SHORT
CONFUSING DIAGRAMS AND NOTATION
The diagrams are surprisingly hard to read. Board squares are labeled with letters that visually resemble pieces, making positions unnecessarily confusing. Piece movement explanations rely heavily on text instead of clear visual illustrations.
More importantly, the book uses an older, Western-oriented notation system that does not match what modern learners will encounter online or in apps. Movements such as “N3F2” are explained, but they clash with the notation used by contemporary Xiangqi platforms and communities (e.g., H2+3 or C2=5).
Terminology is also inconsistent with modern usage. Advisors are called “counselors,” elephants are called “ministers,” and piece abbreviations differ from standard conventions. While these translations are not wrong, they add friction for beginners who will immediately encounter different terms elsewhere.
To be fair, this book was published before the English translation of the WXF was produced, so there was no centeral document to harmonize with. But still, this outdated aspect may cause confusion for beginners.
OPENINGS AND MIDDLEGAME COVERAGE IS EXTREMELY THIN
The sections on openings and the middlegame are very brief and almost entirely text-based. Opening systems such as the Central Cannon are described without diagrams, requiring readers to reconstruct positions themselves.
There is very little explanation of ideas, plans, or strategic goals. These sections feel more like lists than instructional material.
ENDGAME FOCUS WITHOUT EXPLANATION
The endgame section makes up the largest portion of the instructional content, which makes sense in theory. In practice, it is disappointing.
Many endgame positions are presented with conclusions like “this is a draw” or “this always wins,” followed by long move sequences. However, there is little to no explanation of why these outcomes occur. Readers are expected to analyze complex sequences on their own.
For a book marketed as an introduction, this is a major weakness.
EXERCISES THAT ARE UNREALISTIC FOR BEGINNERS
The book advertises 80 middlegame and endgame exercises designed to sharpen playing skills. In reality, many of these exercises have solutions involving 10–15 or more moves, with no commentary.
This is an extremely painful way to learn Xiangqi, especially for beginners. Without visual tools or explanations, it is difficult to extract meaningful lessons from these exercises.
HEAVY RELIANCE ON ANCIENT MANUALS
Nearly half the book consists of translated move lists from ancient Xiangqi manuals. While historically interesting, they are presented with minimal explanation.
In China, this approach makes sense because players often grow up learning the game socially. In the West, Xiangqi does not have that cultural foundation. Without extensive commentary, these move lists are inaccessible to new players.
MODERN ALTERNATIVES ARE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE
Today, interactive tools and apps provide a much better learning experience. They allow players to:
• see positions visually
• step forward and backward through games
• practice specific puzzle types (mate-in-one, mate-in-two, tactical themes, etc.)
• adjust difficulty
• receive immediate feedback
For a visual and tactical game like Xiangqi, these tools are vastly superior to static move lists in a book.
FINAL VERDICT
As a historical reference, this book has some value. As an introductory guide for modern beginners—especially Western learners—it falls short.
It uses outdated notation, provides little explanation, assumes cultural familiarity most readers won’t have, and relies heavily on unexplained move lists. Despite its title, it does not offer the kind of guidance or clarity that beginners need today.
I received this book as a gift and approached it with genuine excitement. I wanted a clear, structured, beginner-level introduction that would help me understand the game and prepare me to engage with modern Xiangqi resources. Instead, I found a book that feels disconnected from how beginners actually learn today.
WHAT THE BOOK DOES WELL
The opening section provides brief historical context, focusing mainly on early Xiangqi writings and ancient manuals. The initial chapters explain the board, the pieces, basic movement rules, and concepts like perpetual check. There is also a discussion of approximate piece values, which aligns with values commonly cited elsewhere.
As a reference, this part of the book is adequate. If you already understand chess-like games, you can follow along without too much difficulty.
WHERE THE BOOK FALLS SHORT
CONFUSING DIAGRAMS AND NOTATION
The diagrams are surprisingly hard to read. Board squares are labeled with letters that visually resemble pieces, making positions unnecessarily confusing. Piece movement explanations rely heavily on text instead of clear visual illustrations.
More importantly, the book uses an older, Western-oriented notation system that does not match what modern learners will encounter online or in apps. Movements such as “N3F2” are explained, but they clash with the notation used by contemporary Xiangqi platforms and communities (e.g., H2+3 or C2=5).
Terminology is also inconsistent with modern usage. Advisors are called “counselors,” elephants are called “ministers,” and piece abbreviations differ from standard conventions. While these translations are not wrong, they add friction for beginners who will immediately encounter different terms elsewhere.
To be fair, this book was published before the English translation of the WXF was produced, so there was no centeral document to harmonize with. But still, this outdated aspect may cause confusion for beginners.
OPENINGS AND MIDDLEGAME COVERAGE IS EXTREMELY THIN
The sections on openings and the middlegame are very brief and almost entirely text-based. Opening systems such as the Central Cannon are described without diagrams, requiring readers to reconstruct positions themselves.
There is very little explanation of ideas, plans, or strategic goals. These sections feel more like lists than instructional material.
ENDGAME FOCUS WITHOUT EXPLANATION
The endgame section makes up the largest portion of the instructional content, which makes sense in theory. In practice, it is disappointing.
Many endgame positions are presented with conclusions like “this is a draw” or “this always wins,” followed by long move sequences. However, there is little to no explanation of why these outcomes occur. Readers are expected to analyze complex sequences on their own.
For a book marketed as an introduction, this is a major weakness.
EXERCISES THAT ARE UNREALISTIC FOR BEGINNERS
The book advertises 80 middlegame and endgame exercises designed to sharpen playing skills. In reality, many of these exercises have solutions involving 10–15 or more moves, with no commentary.
This is an extremely painful way to learn Xiangqi, especially for beginners. Without visual tools or explanations, it is difficult to extract meaningful lessons from these exercises.
HEAVY RELIANCE ON ANCIENT MANUALS
Nearly half the book consists of translated move lists from ancient Xiangqi manuals. While historically interesting, they are presented with minimal explanation.
In China, this approach makes sense because players often grow up learning the game socially. In the West, Xiangqi does not have that cultural foundation. Without extensive commentary, these move lists are inaccessible to new players.
MODERN ALTERNATIVES ARE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE
Today, interactive tools and apps provide a much better learning experience. They allow players to:
• see positions visually
• step forward and backward through games
• practice specific puzzle types (mate-in-one, mate-in-two, tactical themes, etc.)
• adjust difficulty
• receive immediate feedback
For a visual and tactical game like Xiangqi, these tools are vastly superior to static move lists in a book.
FINAL VERDICT
As a historical reference, this book has some value. As an introductory guide for modern beginners—especially Western learners—it falls short.
It uses outdated notation, provides little explanation, assumes cultural familiarity most readers won’t have, and relies heavily on unexplained move lists. Despite its title, it does not offer the kind of guidance or clarity that beginners need today.
September 11, 2019
This is a decent book and is probably the book that most English language players looking for one on the game have gone thru. Pricewise about the cheapest out there, the content is useful for beginners up to intermediate level. There is a section on endgames where the author usefully states which ones can be won/drawn. I would recommend this to any English speaking Chinese chess enthusiast.
December 6, 2011
This is a beautifully bound book, well suited for beginners and intermediate players of Chinese chess. Highly recommended for both the novice and the chess fan who want to learn the game.
December 6, 2011
This is a beautifully bound book, well suited for beginners and intermediate players of Chinese chess. Highly recommended for both the novice and the chess fan who want to learn the game.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews