Manchu chess

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Manchu chess board and starting setup. The red chariot can also be placed on i1.[1]

Manchu chess[2] (Chinese: 满洲棋; pinyin: Mǎnzhōuqí[3]), also known as Yitong[4] or Yitong chess (Chinese: 一统棋; pinyin: Yìtǒngqí[5]), is a variant of xiangqi. It was created during the Qing Dynasty by the Bannermen and was one of the most popular board games among them.[6]

Rules

Black's pieces are set up and move the same as in xiangqi, but horses, cannons, and one of the chariots are absent for Red.[2][3] The remaining chariot has the combined powers of the chariot, horse, and cannon.[2][3] Although Black appears to have the advantage, the lethality of the red chariot can easily lead to an endgame if Black does not play cautiously.[3] The red chariot is believed to be the representation of Solon soldiers who were brave and battle-hardened during the Manchu conquest of China.[7]

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Wei 1990, p. 237
  2. 1 2 3 Finkel 2007, p. 126
  3. 1 2 3 4 Xu 1984, p. 4173
  4. ↑ Cazaux & Knowlton 2017, p. 105
  5. ↑ Wei 1990, p. 236
  6. ↑ "Manchu Chess (满洲棋)". Liaoning Antique Archaeology Institute. Retrieved 2017-11-26. (in simplified Chinese)
  7. ↑ Xu 1984, pp. 4173-4174

References

  • Finkel, Irving L. (2007). Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions. British Museum Press. ISBN 9780714111537.
  • Cazaux, Jean-Louis; Knowlton, Rick (2017). A World of Chess: Its Development and Variations through Centuries and Civilizations. McFarland. ISBN 9781476629018.
  • Wei, Zhixin (1990). Peculiar Xiangqi Situation (象棋奇局). Shaanxi Science and Technology Press. ISBN 9787536907881. (in simplified Chinese)
  • Xu, Ke (1984). Qing Petty Matters Anthology (清稗类钞). Zhonghua Book Company. (in traditional Chinese)
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