7 Chinese Xiangqi Opening Rules Every Beginner Should Follow
Chinese chess (Xiangqi) consists of three phases: Opening, Middlegame and Endgame. The first 10 moves, or so, when both sides are getting their pieces into position, is the groundwork for the rest of the game. Grandmaster Hu Ronghua said it in a nutshell: "The opening is the time when both sides hasten to move and put their troops in the frontline ranks before the middlegame battle. Getting the opening right and the middlegame follows. If you get it wrong, you're in for some rough sledding in move one.
What is the most important thing in a Chinese chess opening? These are seven basic principles that are derived from years of competition experience – not theory, but what works on the board!
1.Start moving your heavy pieces quickly, and move the rook first.Move your heavy pieces quickly, and the rook first.
The first thing you should do in the opening is to get your rooks, knights and cannons into active positions. Your pawns are in front and your heavy pieces behind, so you cannot go to any trouble until you move those heavy pieces out.
Of all the pieces the rook must be treated as the most urgent. It has the potential to be your strongest weapon: mobile around all four corners, able to hold up enemy cannons and knights, mop up pawns, attack weak spots, defend your weak spots, and even threaten the opponent's king. In Xiangqi, there is a saying: “If you don't have to move your rook for three times, you're sure to lose.” In modern opening theory that has been relaxed a bit – some systems hold the rook back without any fatal consequences – but the principle is still firm: Rook out early.
However, cannons should not be used too quickly in the opening. A cannon is only effective if it has a screen (something to jump over) and if it is not moved out too early, it will fail to accomplish its intended goal. Cannons should be used most effectively in the opening to connect the flanks, pin enemy pieces or to apply pressure from a distance. Knights should not be allowed to rush off at random either but they should also be able to keep their way open – that is, they should always remain at the ready, waiting for the right moment to attack in unison with other pieces.
2. Do not move the same piece twice (unless you've got a really good reason to!)
One of the most frequently made opening errors is that one player starts to manipulate one piece while the other player's pieces do nothing. It takes precious tempos if you jump your knight a million times, or if you shovel cannon balls back and forth, while your opponent builds three or four in the same time.
A common mistake for players is to move a knight into enemy territory in the first 4 or 5 moves and then in the next move, the opponent swaps knights with you, meaning that you have wasted multiple tempos. For this reason the old saying “Don't move the same piece over and over” is very important. All these initial moves should be used to help build that formation, and not only to make one piece look active.
##3.Don't go out alone.
The next danger is closely related to the last; an over extended single piece. Some players are so enamored of their knights that they hop right over into their opponent's camp and get caught and captured! If you have one piece charging forward without support, you're not doing much, as it has no support and the other piece(s) of your army will not be able to coordinate with it.
The actual disadvantage of solitary attacks is that they're not actually very effective, because the attack is made by a single knight or cannon, which poses almost no threat on its own, and the player with the pieces to develop can surround and eliminate it. An attack that is not helped is a gift to your opponent.
4. AVOID being greedy for pawns!
Opening traps are a staple beginner mistake, such as taking pawns. The proverb goes, “Eating a pawn is worth three tempos” – not because the pawn isn't worth anything, but because on many occasions the move to eat a pawn will lead to an opportunity for the opponent (or a missed tempo opportunity).
The difference is that when you capture a pawn your opponent can bring out a rook or start a quick attack, then it's a poison pawn. Pawn positions in the beginning of the game are not only as pieces of material, but also as marker and shield. Taking an opponent's far side pawn which has not even crossed the river with your knight? That pawn did not pose any threat and your knight is now on the edge of the board and no longer moves. Not a good trade.
5. Develop a plan to take control of the river.
Most of the real estate right in the opening is the central line of the board—the “river”. All of the other pieces gain the maximum power and control in the area of the river, with the exception of rooks, which are strong everywhere. A piece placed in the middle may also be able to turn to either side much faster than a piece on the side.
When your opponent gets the river, you have to do something to contest the river. If you have it, hold it and defend it with vigor and use it as an attack on their palace. River control is a game of space, whoever controls that middle area is able to move forces and set the tempo of the game.
6. Avoid being unbalanced and out-of-sync.
Your pieces should be a whole, not each other. Distribute them evenly on both sides—don't 'put all on one side and little on the other'. A tight formation captures its own pieces and an empty formation opens up holes for the opponent to take advantage of.
Try to maintain the same number of men on either of the wings. If there is any weakness on one side, it will be ruthlessly attacked. Additionally, keep it connected: your pieces need to defend each other, help each other's play, and play in a coordinated manner - when attacking and defending. Remember, your army is not a gang of individual warriors, it's a unit of well-trained soldiers.
7. Adapt to What Your Opponent Is Doing
There's no such thing as a single opening. Memorizing a set sequence and then playing it blindly won't work; you have to react to your opponent's set. This is what “read and react” is all about.
Go for the most basic initial move, Central Cannon (炮二平五 or 炮八平五). It is direct and is aimed right at the enemy's belly. But your opponent could respond in one of several ways: Screen Horse, Single Horse, Same-direction Cannon, Reverse Palace Horse, and Opposite-direction Cannon—all of which require a different follow-up move. Elephant Opening (相三进五 or 相七进五): more cautious, you sense your opponent's intention before you go. The Soldier Pawn opening (仙人指路) is a compromise between the two openings: it'll add strength to your opening and also challenge their opening.
The type of opening system to play depends on the opponent and your personality. But whatever you do the basics remain the same: build up your heavy pieces as soon as possible, maintain balance, defend important central squares, don't be greedy, and don't be the first to move a piece in to an empty square.
The opening is the foundation of your game. Well begun is half done, as one said. Once you know these seven rules, you will never be in the opening phase of a match again forfeiting a game—and opening advantage may well be the opening that leads to checkmate.
