Frostbyte's 1980s DOS Shareware Collection/floppyshareware.zip/floppyshareware/APOG/CCHESS.ZIP/CCHESS.DOC

Text File | 1987-08-24 | 7.2 KB | 163 lines

HISTORY

"Hsang Chi" or Chinese Chess is a distant cousin of western chess
which is played in most Chinese-speaking parts of the world.

A Chinese legend relates that the type of chess played in that
country was invented by a general to provide his troops with
entertainment while they were in winter camp. However, most
authorities admit that the original form of the game was
brought into China from India. Literary evidence indicates that
the game appeared around A.D. 700.

Once introduced into China, chess underwent several important
changes. First, the men were no longer placed and moved on the
squares, but rather on the intersections of the lines. This
change was not unreasonable. The game of "Wei-Chi", better known
to the Western world by its Japanese name, "Go", the men are
played on the point of intersection of lines, not on the squares
formed by the lines. Thus, the Chinese were accustomed to playing
on points, and altered chess accordingly. Moreover, the
chessboard of that time, known in India as the "ashtapada", was
not checkered, and was therefore suited for point play as well as
square play. Lastly, the nine-by-eight board adopted by the
Chinese contains only seventy-two squares, but has ninety points.

Another change was in the form of the men. The pieces used in the
Chinese came are flat disks, similar to checkers, with their
names written on them. The names of the men of one army are
inscribed in blue, the names of the pieces of the other in red.
The reason for this type of piece, and for the use of the names
"general" and "governor" to designate the two "kings" is found,
perhaps, in an account of an episode involving the Emperor Wei-ti
(A.D. 589-605). While visiting an inn, he saw a group of
foreigners playing either chess or a form of proto-chess. On
learning that the chief piece of each side was called the
equivalent of emperor, he ordered the players executed. Moreover,
it was declared illegal to use the name emperor for such a
purpose, or to use images representing the emperor as units in a
mere game.

The game is considered to have had its origin in an imitation of
actual war, and thus we find in this game not only elephants,
cavalry, infantry, and war-chariots, but a fortress in which the
king and his counsellors are intrenched, and from which they
direct operation. There is a fortress belonging to the enemy,
which they must storm, and a wide river between the two armies,
which can only be crossed with difficulty. The elephants, being
supposed to be unable to cross, are left behind to protect the
field against any of the enemy who might get across, and we see
them moving slowly and heavily up and down with measured tread.
And lastly, we have the introduction of artillery in the form of a
catapult which sends missiles over the heads of intervening
forced and indeed across the river. The military character of the
game is further seen by the king taking command of his forces,
and calling himself general, and his two councilors acting as
his lieutenants or guards. Next to these, on either side, are the
elephants, then the cavalry and the war chariots in the wings,
while the artillery and infantry are placed in advance.


THE BOARD

It will be noted that there is a break in the vertical lines B
through H, this break occurring between horizontal lines 5 and 6.
Dividing the board in half, this break represents a river, and is
called the Hwang Ho, or Yellow River. Two pieces are affected by
this barrier, but this will be considered on the section on
movement. It will also be noted that two groups of points (D0,
D1, E0, E1, F0, F1; D8, D9, E8, E9, F8, F9) are distinguished by
diagonal lines. These two groups are the fortresses, the purpose
of which will be shown in the section on moves. There are also
several crosshatch marks showing the position of all pieces that
are not set up on the back row; however, these are only evident
after those pieces have been moved, and thus can be ignored for
the time being.


THE PIECES

The number of pieces used in Hsang Chi is, as in the various
forms of chess proper, thirty-two. Each player has sixteen
pieces. The pieces are located as follows:

.nf
Figure  Translation   Number    Red Position   Blue Position

Tsiang   General        1           E0              E9
Ssu      Mandarin       2          D0,F0           D9,F9
Hsang    Elephant       2          C0,G0           C9,G9
Ma       Horse          2          B0,H0           B9,H9
Che      Chariot        2          A0,I0           A9,I9
Pao      Catapult       2          B2,H2           B7,H7
Ping     Foot Soldier   5     A3,C3,E3,G3,I3   A6,C6,E6,G6,I6

.fi
Note that in traditional Hsang Chi sets, there are several
differences in the names and markings of the red and blue pieces;
these are not used in the CCHESS program.

The Tsiangs are the "kings" of this game. They move and take one
point at a time, vertically or horizontally, and are not
permitted to leave the area of the fortress.

The Ssu moves and takes diagonally one point at a time and cannot
leave the area of the fortress.

The Hsang moves diagonally two points at a time. However, they
cannot leap over an occupied point and cannot cross the river.

The Ma has the move of the knight, yet, because it cannot leap
over an occupied point, it must be emphasized that it must move
one point straight and then one diagonally, never vice versa. The
river is no barrier to its movement.

The Che has the move the modern rook. The river is no barrier
to its movement.

The Pao has the MOVE of the modern rook. However, unlike the Che,
to capture it must leap over one (and no more than one) piece,
either allied or enemy. A piece over which a Pao has leaped or
can leap is called a "screen". It cannot leap over a screen
unless they capture an opponent piece on the move. The river is
no barrier to its movement.

The Ping moves and takes straight ahead one point at a time until
it has crossed the river, which is no barrier to its movement.
After crossing, it can move and take straight ahead or to either
side. On reaching the last rank, they are not promoted, but move
and take to either side, still one point at a time.

The two Tsiangs may not oppose each other on an empty file. A
player moving his Tsiang into an open file occupied by only the
other Tsiang is making an illegal move, the equivalent of moving
one's king into check in modern chess.

Perpetual check is not allowed, and a player who is stalemated
(i.e. cannot make a legal move) loses the game.

When neither side can capture the opponent's Tsiang, the game is
a draw.

Chasing pieces back and forth is illegal.


FOR FURTHER STUDY

The following book is highly recommended:

Lau, H.T. "Chinese Chess". Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1985.

The published (Charles E. Tuttle) has offices in Rutland,
Vermont, but I have been unable to obtain an address.


CREDITS

The above description of how to play Hsang Chi was taken from
John Gollon's excellent work "Chess Variations, Ancient, Regional
and Modern", also published by Charles E. Tuttle. The paragraph
starting with "The game is considered to have..." is taken from
Edward Falkener's "Games Ancient and Oriental and How to Play
Them", available in a Dover edition.