How Many Pieces Are in a Chinese Chess Set?
A standard Chinese chess (Xiangqi) set has 32 pieces: 16 Red pieces and 16 Black pieces. Each side has seven types of pieces — one General, two Advisors, two Elephants, two Horses, two Chariots, two Cannons, and five Soldiers.
If you're checking whether a Xiangqi set is complete, the table below shows the exact number of each piece.
How Many Pieces Are in a Chinese Chess Set?
32 Pieces in Total
A standard Xiangqi set contains 32 pieces. The pieces are divided equally between two sides: Red and Black.
16 Pieces Per Side
Each player starts with 16 pieces:
- 1 General
- 2 Advisors
- 2 Elephants
- 2 Horses
- 2 Chariots
- 2 Cannons
- 5 Soldiers
Both sides have the same number and types of pieces.
What Are the 32 Pieces in Xiangqi?
| Piece Type | Red Name | Black Name | Per Side | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 帅 (Shuai) | 将 (Jiang) | 1 | 2 |
| Advisor | 仕 (Shi) | 士 (Shi) | 2 | 4 |
| Elephant | 相 (Xiang) | 象 (Xiang) | 2 | 4 |
| Horse | 马 (Ma) | 马 (Ma) | 2 | 4 |
| Chariot | 车 (Ju) | 车 (Ju) | 2 | 4 |
| Cannon | 炮 (Pao) | 炮 (Pao) | 2 | 4 |
| Soldier | 兵 (Bing) | 卒 (Zu) | 5 | 10 |
| Total | 16 | 32 |
How Many of Each Xiangqi Piece Are There?
General — 1 Per Side
Each side has one General. Red's General is 帅 (Shuai), while Black's is 将 (Jiang). The General stays inside its 3×3 palace and cannot face the opposing General directly along an open file.
Advisor — 2 Per Side
Each side has two Advisors. They stay inside the palace and move one point diagonally, mainly helping protect the General.
Elephant — 2 Per Side
Each side has two Elephants. They move two points diagonally and cannot cross the river. An Elephant's move is blocked when another piece occupies the midpoint of its diagonal path.
Horse — 2 Per Side
Each side has two Horses. They move in an L-shaped pattern similar to a chess Knight, but a Horse can be blocked by a piece next to it. This is known as blocking the Horse's leg, or 蹩马腿.
Chariot — 2 Per Side
Each side has two Chariots. They move any number of points horizontally or vertically as long as the path is clear.
Cannon — 2 Per Side
Each side has two Cannons. They move like Chariots, but when capturing, a Cannon must jump over exactly one piece, called a screen or mount.
Soldier — 5 Per Side
Each side has five Soldiers. Before crossing the river, a Soldier moves one point forward. After crossing the river, it can also move one point sideways, but it still cannot move backward.
How Are the 32 Xiangqi Pieces Set Up?
Xiangqi pieces are placed on the intersections of the board's lines, not inside squares as in international chess. Each side starts with the same 16-piece formation.
Back Rank
The nine pieces on each side's back rank are arranged from left to right as:
Chariot – Horse – Elephant – Advisor – General – Advisor – Elephant – Horse – Chariot
The General sits in the center of the back rank, inside the 3×3 palace.
Cannons
Each side has two Cannons. They are placed on the third horizontal line from the player's back edge, with each Cannon positioned two points inward from the left or right edge.
Soldiers
Each side has five Soldiers. They are placed on the fourth horizontal line from the player's back edge, with one Soldier on every other file. This creates five evenly spaced Soldiers across the board.
The two sides use the same starting formation, mirrored across the river. Red moves first, and the players then take turns making one move at a time.
Red vs. Black Xiangqi Piece Names
Red and Black have the same number and types of pieces, but several pieces use different Chinese characters.
| Piece | Red | Black |
|---|---|---|
| General | 帅 (Shuai) | 将 (Jiang) |
| Advisor | 仕 (Shi) | 士 (Shi) |
| Elephant | 相 (Xiang) | 象 (Xiang) |
| Horse | 马 (Ma) | 马 (Ma) |
| Chariot | 车 (Ju) | 车 (Ju) |
| Cannon | 炮 (Pao) | 炮 (Pao) |
| Soldier | 兵 (Bing) | 卒 (Zu) |
The different characters do not change how the corresponding pieces move. They simply distinguish the two sides.
Xiangqi vs. International Chess Piece Count
Chinese chess and international chess both start with 32 pieces, but the pieces and board are quite different.
| Feature | Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) | International Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Total pieces | 32 | 32 |
| Pieces per side | 16 | 16 |
| Piece types | 7 | 6 |
| Soldiers/Pawns per side | 5 | 8 |
| Board | 9 × 10 lines | 8 × 8 squares |
| Playing surface | 90 intersections | 64 squares |
| Piece placement | On line intersections | Inside squares |
| Unique piece | Cannon | Queen |
One of the biggest differences is the Cannon. It moves like a Chariot when not capturing, but it must jump over one piece to make a capture. Xiangqi also uses five Soldiers per side instead of the eight Pawns used in international chess.
FAQ About Xiangqi Pieces
How many pieces are in a full Chinese chess set?
A complete standard Xiangqi set has 32 pieces, with 16 Red pieces and 16 Black pieces.
How many pieces does each player control?
Each player starts with 16 pieces.
How many Soldiers are in Xiangqi?
Each side has 5 Soldiers, giving a total of 10 Soldiers on the board.
How many Cannons does each side have?
Each side has 2 Cannons, for a total of 4 Cannons.
How many Chariots and Horses does each side have?
Each side has 2 Chariots and 2 Horses.
How many Elephants and Advisors does each side have?
Each side has 2 Elephants and 2 Advisors.
How many Generals are in Xiangqi?
Each side has 1 General, giving a total of 2 Generals on the board.
Conclusion
A standard Chinese chess (Xiangqi) set contains 32 pieces: 16 Red and 16 Black. Each side has one General, two Advisors, two Elephants, two Horses, two Chariots, two Cannons, and five Soldiers.
